The Spaces In Between
by GCatsPjs
Summary: Sequel to Saint in the Shadows. B&B Recovery/Romance. How did they get there? How do they get back?
1. Elephant In The Room

**The following story is a Sequel story to one of our other stories: Saint in the Shadows**

**If you have not read that story, we recommend that you do. This, as Saint in the Shadows was, is written by both JenMcdreamy and Greysisthecatspajamas, with special consideration to what you over here on ff(dot)net would refer to as a 'beta'... Lola (I thought it'd be nice to give her a little bit of writing cred, since we did what we did to her character in the last fic.) Please sit back and enjoy the ride, just as the other fic stated... not everything is what it seems... This is a B&B romance fic, though as with any real life situation, there is a lot to work out. Please be patient... Thank you to the writers and commenters who messaged us their suggestions! You are very correct! There are a LOT of questions that need to be answered, and a lot of making up to do... if you know what I mean. We welcome comments from all of you, and appreciate your words. Thank you, and buckle up... the ride is about to begin... keep your fingers on the keyboard at all times, and don't look away from the screen for too long, you don't want to miss anything! Oh! and... in my profile under 'homepage', we put the signature banner for this new story... Lola gets the cred for that too! :)**

**Update 1- Elephant in the Room**

Temperance slipped the clean sock onto her daughter's bandaged feet, wincing as she tried to be as tender and as careful as possible. She looked up at the little girl, whose face showed no sign of emotion, she just watched her mother with a near blank expression on her face. "You know you're going to have to talk to me soon, Antonia. Mommy is here to help you." She said softly, glancing to the door when a knock was heard, she looked up into her daughter's brown eyes, and watched them flick to the door, and then back to her mother. "It feels good to be in your own clothes again, doesn't it?" She said, watching the little girl's focus remain on her eyes, her mouth remained closed as she just stared at Temperance. "A little bit of communication would be very helpful." She whispered, sighing as she leaned up and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Stay right there…" She said as she walked toward the door.

Temperance stepped to the door and opened it slowly, peering out into the hallway at the person standing on the other side of the door, her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" She said, her voice full of anger and disdain. "You are not welcome here."

"I came to see Antonia." He said softly, his eyes sincere in his attempt to regain Temperance's trust, though he knew that it were possible that it could never happen again.

"She is being discharged, Christopher. I am trying to get her out of here, so that we can try to get back to some semblance of normal." Temperance said coldly. "I don't wish to speak to you, and I don't want you to speak to my daughter."

"Temperance." He said softly.

"No." She said sternly, glancing into the room, she saw Antonia was sitting on the bed, her head looking to the floor as she waited for her mother. "No, no… absolutely not." She scolded as she stepped out of the room, pushing him back slightly as she closed the door behind her, staring into his eyes angrily. "You… lied to me. You kept things from me… there were… secrets and lies and… all I want right now is a little bit of control, okay? My daughter won't speak, Christopher. She won't speak, she won't look me in the eyes. The police are breathing down my neck for her to tell them what happened, and I don't have any answers for them, okay? I don't have any answers for them, because my daughter is traumatized! I want to know what happened in that place! I need to know!"

"Did you ask Booth?" He asked, watching her eyes widen in surprise as he mentioned her former partner. "Did you ask him what happened in that room? Did you ask him what happened in that place?"

"I… No." She whispered.

"Has Antonia seen him since he's woken up?"

"No, Christopher. Please stop pushing. I need to handle this the way that I know how to handle this." She replied.

"By what? By taking his family away from him? By taking her…"

"Stop." She said sternly, putting her hand out in an obvious attempt to get him to stop immediately. "Just, stop… right there. For the past two weeks, I have spent my time between my daughter's room and Booth's room." She whispered. "He won't speak of this, and she has not been awake when she has been in there with me. So no, no… she hasn't seen him. She hasn't seen him hooked up to tubes and wires with all of those machines connected to him, she hasn't seen him. He's seen her… that's what's important."

"And she's waiting for you to take her to him, Temperance. She needs to know that he's alive."

"I told her that he is alive."

"She needs to see it with her own eyes." Harding replied.

"Stop." She said simply, closing her eyes for a moment to ward off the anxiety in her heart. "Just stop pushing." She whispered. "I haven't slept in a bed for two weeks, Agent Harding. I just… want to get my daughter home… I just want her to be in a place that is familiar, and I'm hoping that she'll feel confident enough to tell me what she's thinking when it's time."

"What about Booth?" Harding whispered.

"What about Booth?" She said, shaking her head, her voice cold and distant. "Booth is handcuffed to his bed, Harding. He ran away from a federal program, and he's going to prison. I can't do anything for Booth."

"You can't take his family away from him, Temperance." Harding whispered, taking the hit of her icy gaze. "She was all he had for years, Temperance. She was his connection to the world he lost, to the world he lost out on. You can't take her away from him, and you can't take him away from her. It isn't fair to either of them."

"You can leave now, Christopher." She said coldly as she turned toward the room. "I have to take my daughter home." She said as she turned and grabbed hold of the doorknob.

"Temperance…wait." He said, taking her hand on the doorknob, he waited for a moment as she stared in the window at her waiting daughter, sitting, her eyes downcast, her hands in her lap as she waited patiently for her mother to return. "I brought her a gift… can I at least give her a gift?" He asked, his eyes pleading desperately with her as she glared at him.

"Fine." She whispered. "You can have five minutes, but we're leaving…"

"That's fine." He nodded as he took his hand from hers, and watched her open the door. "Antonia?" She said softly, stepping into the room, the little girl hadn't looked up at the entrance of her mother, her eyes still downcast as she waited. "Baby…" She said, her voice tentative. "There is someone here to see you." She said, watching her daughter's head lift to her words. There was a look in her eyes for a split second that Temperance could only imagine was hope, though it was quickly masked by the sadness of disappointment as Harding stepped into the room. "Sweetheart, it's Ace… he came to bring you a gift." She said in a faux hopeful tone, her eyes on Harding as he moved across the room.

"Hey, kiddo." Harding said, his voice slightly coddling as he spoke in a low, even tone. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. "I brought you a gift." He said, stepping across the floor slowly, she watched him, her eyes on his as he made his way toward her, crouching in front of her, he smiled. It was a genuine smile, and she could see that, the corners of her lips turning up just slightly as she watched him reach into the gift bag. "It looks like you got a lot of other gifts too." He said with a smile, looking around at the balloons and bears that had been sent from friends and well wishers who had heard of her trauma. Slowly, he pulled a small gray elephant from the bag. It wasn't the same elephant that she had since she was a baby, but a different one, brand new and wearing a little bow tie, he had a smile sewn onto his face, and his trunk up turned. Harding handed the elephant to the little girl, who took it in her hands reluctantly. She stared at the toy carefully, her eyes filling with tears. "Hey…" He whispered as he watched her, his eyes moving to her mother, who was watching everything carefully to ensure that her daughter didn't swing into another wild tantrum. "Ant… don't you like it?" He whispered, watching a tear roll down her cheek, she looked up at Harding and reached the toy back to him. "You don't want him? He's not a replacement you know… he's Deuce's brother…" He said as the little girl's eyes snapped to Harding's. "It's true… his name is Chip… he's Deuce's brother… and he… um… he needed a home… and since… you know, his brother lives with you…" He shrugged, watching the little girl's brown eyes staring intently into his. "Oh…" He said, a smile curving onto his lips, he reached into the bag once more, very slowly pulling another gift from within it.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the formerly battered toy. He had been carefully sewn up and suitably patched, his stuffing replaced, and his fur delicately washed. Harding heard a slight gasp from Temperance behind him, and the little girl grabbed the elephant from his hands and hugged both of the toys to her chest as she closed her eyes. "He had some … mild injuries…he has a bandaid here and there, you'll notice… but when he was hurt, he was brought to the elephant hospital… they worked on him for several hours, but when he was released from the hospital, he insisted that I bring him here immediately to you. He was so worried about you." Harding said as tears rolled down the little girl's face as she gripped the toys in her arms tightly. "I hope you like your gift, sweetheart." He whispered as he leaned up and kissed her forehead softly. "If you need anything… ever… let me know." He said sincerely as he stood up, his body turning to face Temperance, whose eyes were filled with tears as she watched her daughter. "Thank you for letting me give her the gift."

"How did you?" Temperance said in a whisper, her words completely escaping her.

"You left him in the car when you went into the warehouse… All I did was take him to the elephant hospital and make sure he made it." He swallowed hard. "Deuce is a tough elephant, Temperance… but he wouldn't have made it without you. He wouldn't have made it without Antonia." He whispered. "And maybe you know what they say about elephants… maybe you don't…" He shrugged as he walked toward the door. He took the doorknob in his hand and turned to face her, his eyes sincere and true as he gave her a half smile. "Elephants never forget." He whispered, turning from the room, he walked out without another word.

---------------  
Temperance watched the door for several moments, the silence in the room was unbearable as she quickly swallowed the lump in her throat before turning her attention back to her daughter. Antonia was sitting on the bed, holding her two stuffed animals tightly, her eyes closed in a moment of peacefulness as Temperance moved toward the wheelchair. "Are you ready to go, princess?" She whispered, her eyes focused on the little girl, who hadn't even moved at her mother's words. Temperance didn't try again, her focus was solely on getting her daughter home safe and soon. She lifted Antonia up and felt her arms circle her neck, her two toys held tightly in her hands as she looked around the room. "Uncle Bugs says he's going to come and pick up all of your pretty balloons and get well gifts." She whispered into her daughter's ears, bending down to place her in the wheelchair, she found that the small arms around her refused to let go. "Would you rather have me carry you, baby?" She whispered, feeling the grip on her neck become a bit tighter at the question. "Okay…" She whispered. "Okay."

Temperance walked toward the door, pulling her bag from the chair beside the bed as she opened the door and started walking toward the elevators. All of the discharge paperwork had been completed, and all she had to do was walk out of the hospital with her daughter. It was all she needed to do, and everything would be fine. Everything would be back to normal, everything would be… different. She stepped into the elevator and closed her eyes, turning around as the doors closed behind her, though the elevator didn't move. She was in the elevator car with just Antonia, and she didn't know which way to go. Downstairs would lead her to the lobby, to the outside, to freedom, and Upstairs would lead her to the past, Booth, and feelings that she was keeping so deeply embedded in her soul that she feared that she would burst if she were to hold them in any longer. There was so much passion, so much anger, so much conflicting emotion that was building up inside her soul, that she didn't have any way of knowing how rational she could be in that situation. She had her daughter to think about, she had her baby to take care of. She had to get out of that hospital before someone else made the decision for her, as suddenly the elevator started to move up. Temperance slammed her finger down on the button for the lobby, angry that she hadn't made the decision sooner, upset that she was being pulled upstairs against her will by someone else. The doors opened on the Intensive Care Unit, and a doctor stood staring in at her as she stared at him wide eyed. Seeing that someone was already in the elevator, the doctor took a step back for her to pass him, his hand reaching out to hold the door for her as she opened her mouth to protest.

He nodded and smiled politely, watching as she stared back at him with wide eyed surprise, and stepped off the elevator. He stepped into the elevator and watched the young woman with the little girl securely in her arms, and wondered for a moment why she looked so spellbound, her actions seemed almost as if forced, as the doors closed on the sight before him as he pressed the button for the lobby.

Temperance walked directly toward the room that she had come to know as familiar, and in the chair beside the room sit a uniformed military man who stood up as she approached. "Doctor Brennan." He said with a nod, knowing that the Doctor had full access to his charge.

"Is he alone?" She asked weakly, her eyes imploring the officer to nod his head so that she'd have an excuse to hightail it back to the elevator.

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded, reaching for the door, he turned the doorknob and pushed it open, allowing her access to the room.

She stepped into the room, and immediately, his eyes were on hers, invading her senses the moment she stepped in the room. She moved to make an indication to remain quiet, to not say a word, for she wasn't sure that Antonia was ready for this, she wasn't sure if she was ready for this. "Bones." His voice rasped, a smile sliding up his still bruised face, as his eyes immediately filled with tears at the look of fear in her eyes. He then noticed Antonia was dressed in plainclothes, and remembered that today was the day she was going home. He hadn't expected to see either of them this day, this was their day. His eyes widened as the little girl moved, and he was immediately concerned that she would reject him.

Her head turned, her eyes widened immediately as the man that she loved so much came into view. He was alive, he was awake, and he was looking directly back at her. Her jaw dropped open, but not a sound escaped, as she turned and immediately buried her head into her mother's shoulder, and began to cry.


	2. Invisible

**Hey everyone! The response to this story has been PHENOMENAL! We thank you all for reading, and your attention as we tell our story! We understand it's pretty sad right now, but just know that the misery will not last forever. Slowly we'll be re-introducing our characters, and you'll see what these experiences have done to them. We look forward to your reviews and comments! :)**

**Update 2- Invisible**

If it were possible for a heart to shatter to a million pieces, it would have occurred the very moment that Antonia looked at Booth with those widened eyes. If it were possible for those million pieces to be stomped on, it would have occurred when she buried her face in her mother's chest and began to sob inconsolably into her mother's blouse.

"We should go." Temperance whispered. "I shouldn't have… I should have just…" She stammered as she turned for the door.

"No!" Antonia's voice was clear as anything she had ever said, her head lifting from her mother's chest, she pushed against her with her clenched fists. "No!"

"Antonia!" Temperance exclaimed with wide eyed surprise, finally a word had come from her daughter's lips, but it wasn't filled with any sense of happiness or joy, only pain as she pushed against her mother's arms.

Booth was caught between calling out to the little girl, and waiting to see what she wanted, what she was looking for, what she was expecting, because he could see on Temperance's face that she was just as puzzled as he was. In a clumsy move that nearly dropped the tiny girl to the floor, Temperance lost control of her struggling child and bent down to ensure she wouldn't land hard, she tried to wrangle her in her arms, but Antonia refused to look her in the eyes as she exclaimed the word 'no', again and again as she pushed at her mother's hands. As soon as she wiggled free of her mother's grasp, she pushed herself away and held her hands out in defense, Temperance standing to face her daughter, confused about her sudden outburst. In the melee of movement, her toys had fallen to the floor, and the little girl's eyes moved from the toys to her mother, almost as if she expected her to grab after them, Antonia ran to them and pulled them into her arms, burying her face in their fur for a moment as she took a deep breath, attempting to recover from her crying.

"Antonia?" Temperance whispered softly, taking a step toward her daughter, her brown eyes rising to meet her mother's. "Come here… please?" She said, watching the little girl take a step back, holding her two toys, she reached her hand back toward the bed as she watched Temperance take another step forward. "Please, baby?" She said, trying to ensure her daughter that she wouldn't pounce, she wouldn't surprise her, or grab her.

"No." She whispered as she turned suddenly and grasped for the bed, the railing in her hands, she pulled herself toward it as she stepped on her tiptoes. She looked at Booth again, their eyes meeting finally as her tear filled eyes spilled over.

"Toni." He whispered to the little girl, his voice still not completely back, and his body was so bandaged that he could hardly move anything. He could, however, move his hand, opening his palm toward the little girl, his eyes lost in the small face that was imploring his. "I am okay." He whispered, his words were more of a hope than an exclamation, and his eyes flickered from hers to Temperance's, who stood back and watched the two of them, connecting silently. The little girl pushed her toys onto the bed and grabbed the bedrail with both hands, trying to pull herself up, sending Temperance behind her to scoop her up into her arms. The little girl started to struggle at first, pulling herself toward the bed, until she realized that her mother was doing just that, the little grunts escaping her lips were full of stubbornness as she settled in her mother's arms for a moment, finding herself hovering over the bed, looking down into the eyes of her friend, she reached her hand for his, leaning down powerfully, as she released her mother with the other hand, sending Temperance bending down to grip her tighter so she wouldn't fall completely onto Booth. "Toni." He whispered again, her struggle becoming slightly more fierce, until Temperance could no longer hold her tightly enough, and placed the little girl onto the bed beside Booth, her body immediately covering him as she gripped at his gown covered chest, digging her body into his wounds as he grimaced in pain.

"Antonia, please be careful!" Temperance said, trying to ensure that none of the tubes or wires were dislodged from his body, trying to keep her knees from pushing into the flesh wound in his side, her body from putting pressure on the broken ribs, her fingernails from digging into the tender flesh of the man who had saved her.

"She's fine." Booth grunted.

"She's going to hurt you, if she's not careful, Booth." Temperance said, immediately noting her daughter relax at her mother's words, her grip loosening, her body relaxing into his as she pressed her face into his neck. His arm moved around her as he held her with his free arm, pulling her to him as he kissed her forehead, her breathing sounded heavy and uneven, her whimpers were heartbreaking.

"Hey…" He whispered against her hairline, his kisses tender, his eyes on Temperance's as she watched warily from beside the bed, prepared to pull the little girl from his arms if she began to have another tantrum. "Hey, little one…" He whispered softly again, her eyes lifted to his in the first instance of recognition and listening since they had been rescued. "Mama Bones says you won't talk to her." He whispered, her eyes focused on his intently as she shook her head. "Now why would you make her worry like that?"

Her mouth opened slightly, her tongue running over her lips as she then bit her bottom lip slightly, her eyes closing for a moment. She opened her eyes and then moved her head up to his neck, where she pushed her head up close to him, her lips aiming toward his ear. Her eyes flickered to her mother, before she brought her attention back to Booth. "I'm invisible." Her voice tickled his skin as the words that she spoke sent shivers down his spine. "I'm invisible like you." She said, closing her eyes, she put her head down and gripped the hospital gown with her hands as she felt him shift slightly, her grip becoming tighter.

Booth's eyes widened, bringing his gaze to Temperance, who looked just as frightened as himself. The first words she had spoken, other than those of defiance, and it was something like that? He knew that Temperance wouldn't understand the weight of the words, or the meaning behind them, and he could tell that she was unsure of what she had said, exactly. "What did she say?" Temperance whispered. Booth watched her cautiously. He didn't know what her reaction would be to her daughter's words, so he remained silent for several moments, watching the impatience in her eyes slowly rising to the surface. "Booth?"

"Bones." He said, shaking his head slowly, he watched the pain in her eyes. She wanted, needed her daughter to communicate. She had spent two weeks in this hospital with no answers, and the longer she stared at the man who held most of those answers, the more angry and impatient she was becoming. It wasn't that he had refused to tell her anything, it was that she was too afraid to ask. She wanted to talk to him, to shout at him, to scream at him for all of the pain that he had put her through, but the only thing she had found the strength to do, was to take care of him, sit by his bedside and wait for him to recover, to watch him breathe, to listen to the sound of his voice, and see the dark brown depths of his eyes as they stared back at her. But this, this was becoming more personal with each passing second, and she could feel the heat rising up into her cheeks as she watched him shake his head at her, refusing to reveal the words that had been whispered from her daughter.

"Tell me what she said." Temperance hissed, between clenched teeth, her eyes not betraying the anger she was feeling bubbling from deep in her soul.

"I can't." He whispered softly, sending her a pitiful look of pleading understanding. "I can't tell you." He said softly. "She has to tell you."

"We have to go." Temperance said, reaching for the little girl, she noticed how Booth's grip tightened for a moment. "Booth, don't do this to me."

"Bones, please?" He whispered.

"We came in here so that I could show her that you were alive… she needed to see you, and now we have to go." She could see the hurt in his eyes as her hands were placed on the child gently. "We have to go now." Her eyes caught his, and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what you want from us." She said sharply. "I've moved on, Booth. I don't know what you want from me." She said, rolling the child into her arms, she peeled her tiny fingers from the hospital gown and lifted her from the bed, noting that she had fallen asleep, she moved her into her arms and held her tightly as she turned from the bed sharply, tossing back a look that gave her away immediately. "I've moved on." She whispered, grabbing her bag, she swung from the room as quickly as she had entered, taking with her his heart, his child, his future, and the biggest lie that he had ever heard uttered from her lips.

Between the tears that fell from his eyes, he saw the small forms of two stuffed animals tucked within his blankets. With his hand, he reached down, pulling the older of the two up into view. The tears from his eyes began to fall more quickly, looking at the sad expression on the little toy's face, the bandages on its worn fur, and the freshly sewn seams across its body. He held the toy to him tightly, closing his eyes as he took a slow, deep breath. Swallowing his tears momentarily, he began to pray for his little girl, pray for her mother, and pray for the possibility that one day; he would have the opportunity to explain himself to them both.


	3. Ignition

**Update 3- Ignition**

Temperance placed Antonia in her car seat, buckling the little girl up, she kissed her cheek softly, and took a step back, closing the door. She climbed into the driver seat and took a slow, deep breath, catching her eyes in the rear view mirror, she could see the tears that she had been hiding behind the bloodshot whites of her eyes, her normally darker blue eyes were light and full of fear. She took a slow, deep breath and tried her best to compartmentalize, to relax, to not jump when the phone rang on the seat beside her.

She glared at the offending object as the shrill ring stung her ears, her hand darting out quickly so as not to wake the sleeping child in the back seat. "Brennan." She said softly into the line as she waited a second for the other person to speak, she glanced in the rear view mirror.

"Sweetheart?" Max's voice came over the line, and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks again, as she tried to keep her voice calm and even.

"I am not in the mood to talk to you right now." She said angrily at her father, her eyes closing as she tipped her head back.

"I'm calling to check up on you, to check up on Ant. Is she alright?"

"She's fine." Temperance lied, the anger in her voice was quite obvious, and Max could sense that this was not a good time. "I am taking her… home now." She said, swallowing hard as she saw the vision of the devastation from her apartment in her mind, she opened her eyes and stared out the window. "We're going home now."

"Honey, you can stay at my place for a little while if you need to." He whispered. "It's okay, I have the room, and…"

"No." She said curtly, nodding her head definitively as she spoke. "We're going to our home. Angela and Hodgins cleaned up, and said it's ready for us. They had a new security system installed, bars installed on the windows. It should be fine. We will be secure and safe, and it'll be fine. We don't need anything." She whispered.

"Tempe, I just think… it's not a good idea to bring her back there just yet."

"It's fine, Dad. It'll be just fine. I'll explain to her about the security system, and all of the other features that are in the home now, and she'll be fine."

"Tempe, she's three years old. She's not going to understand. All she knows is what happened there, she's not going to understand all of the security measures. Please, please come stay at my place for the night. I would feel better knowing that you were both…"

"Dad, I don't think that will be happening." She said sternly. "I am her mother, and I think that I know what is best for her. She can't be frightened of the apartment for the rest of her life, it's best if I just take her there, and deal with it right away. Avoiding it, will not solve anything." She replied. "Thank you for the offer." She whispered into the phone, hanging it up quickly as she tossed her phone on the seat beside her, and started the car for the trip home.

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_"Toni." Booth gasped suddenly, his eyes shooting open to come face to face with the little girl. He breathed heavily, watching the little girl as she softly ran her hand over his forehead, her eyes so tender and sweet as she tried to calm him._

_"I'm here." She said, so matter-of-factly that he had to pause to look into her eyes. She was being so caring, so careful with him. "You're so sleepy, Deuce."_

_"We have to get out of… here…" He whispered to her, watching her brow furrow in concern, her head shake with her lips pouty, her lower lip slipping into her mouth._

_"Deuce, you're sick." She whispered._

_"Toni, baby… you're my partner, right?" He whispered, watching the unsure look in her eyes through the darkness, he could see the fear. "We have to work together to get out of here… we're going to have to work together…" He breathed heavily._

_"But Deuce." She whispered, fearfully, her voice raising in pitch. "Where is mama?" She whimpered sadly, his hand moving to hers while she watched him try to focus on her._

_"I know, baby… I know… we'll get to her…"_

_"You said she was coming." She whispered._

_"She is, she's coming, but we need to help her a little bit… we need to help her find us." He groaned, the pain so much to bear , he could feel his lungs struggling to take in air. "We need to do this soon." He whispered, the tremble in his body slowly subsiding as the adrenaline began to take effect._

_"What are we going to do?" She whispered._

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Temperance pulled the car up to the front of the apartment, her eyes focused on the front doors as she parked the car. She looked into the back seat, watching her daughter twitch in her sleep, her heart leapt into her throat. She could tell that she was dreaming, remembering something, and the way her brow was furrowed, the way her lips pouted, she could tell that the dream wasn't one in which she was relaxed. Suddenly, the little girl let out a blood curdling scream, her eyes wide opened and terrified as Temperance slammed the car into park and nearly wrenched her shoulder reaching to the back seat to the little girl. "Antonia! Wake up!" She exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the seat belt latch, she hurtled into the back seat. "Antonia, please!" She said, finding herself crammed between the seats, her hands on her daughter's face as she tried to get her to focus on her. "It's okay! It's okay, Mommy is here…" She whispered. "Mommy is here."

Suddenly, her eyes focused, and her mouth closed, her cheeks became hot as she found herself staring into the terrified eyes of her mother. She opened her mouth to exclaim to her mother, but no words escaped. Her seatbelt was disengaged quickly, as Temperance gathered her into her arms and pulled herself and her daughter into the front seat, her body trembling as she held securely to her mother, as her labored breathing began to slow. "Mommy is here… mommy is here, princess, she's here now…It's okay. It's okay." Temperance whispered, as she stared out the window at the apartment, immediately realizing that she couldn't do this alone, she couldn't handle this on her own, and against her own strong will, and her own beliefs and strength, she held her daughter until she calmed, pressing tender kisses on her temple until she lay watching her mother from her arms. "Let's go stay with Oompa? What do you say? Oompa will keep us safe." She whispered, pulling her daughter tighter into her arms, she kissed her forehead again, trying to calm her own racing heart, before placing Antonia back in her car seat for the short ride to Max's apartment.

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Booth stared at the door for a long time, the silence of the room was constantly impeded by the sounds of the various machines that were beeping and whirring around him, and he felt dizzy and sick from the pain medication, not to mention the thoughts swimming around in his head. His fingers moved rhythmically over the soft, gray fur of the stuffed elephant in his hand, and his mind was working feverishly to think of a way to make things better. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a slow, deep breath, he let it rattle out from between his lips, keeping them closed for several minutes, until he heard the sound of the door closing behind someone. He didn't want to talk to anyone, he didn't want to see anyone, he just wanted to be left alone in his self pitying misery, at least it was what he told himself. He heard he gentle clacking of someone's high heeled shoes, remaining quiet as he wished they'd just leave.

"Seeley?" The voice was apprehensive and familiar, and he waited for a moment. "Stop pretending to be asleep, Seeley. You're not fooling anyone."

He opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by the questioning eyes of Cam, watching him closely as if she were looking at a ghost, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "Camille." He whispered, noting the tenderness in her approach, he said no more aloud, for there were too many words to say, and he was so tired. He opened his mouth to speak, to try to say anything that could erase the pain from her eyes. He had fooled everyone, they had all thought he was dead and gone, and though he knew that they had been briefed about the situation, nothing the FBI said would appease his friends. They needed to hear it from him, they needed to see it for themselves, and looking into the eyes of one of his oldest friends, his voice hitched in the back of his throat as he felt the tears forming in his eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered, instantly feeling the warmth of an honest friend's embrace, as she carefully wrapped her arms around him. He knew that 'sorry' was just the beginning, and that there were so many more apologies ahead of him, but feeling Cam's embrace, and knowing that forgiveness was possible, ignited a small flash of hope in his heart, a flash that he prayed would stay alight, even in the windy storms to come.

-------------

Temperance pulled the car up in front of her old apartment, her eyes flicking back to the little girl in the back seat, her eyes wide, staring blankly out of the window. "Antonia?" Temperance said, trying to get her attention, finding herself frustrated when her daughter refused to look at her. "Antonia, please?" She whispered, almost desperately to the little girl as she bit her lip for a moment. "Toni?" She said, her voice stronger than before, she was quite pleased when the girl's head snapped in her direction, her eyebrow raising at the reference that her mother had made, the name that Deuce, and only Deuce called her. "Are you ready to see Oompa?" She asked, watching the girl's attention slowly dissipate as her focus trailed back to the window.

Temperance climbed from the car, grabbing her bag from the passenger seat as she opened the back seat door and stared into the eyes of her child, noting the distant stare, and the slouched posture. She reached in and unbuckled her, lifting her carefully from her seat, she whispered soothing words to the little girl as she carried her toward the apartment. She climbed the stairs silently, resigning herself to this task as she had ahead of her, to face her father despite her anger toward him. She pushed her feelings to the back of her mind, putting the safety and security of her daughter before her own as she approached her father's apartment door. She raised her hand to knock, though the door was opening well before she could get her hand up, and she and her daughter were immediately embraced by the strong arms of her father, welcoming them into his home, and asking for forgiveness at the same time.

She accepted the embrace, though she had been hugged by many in the past two weeks, this one was warmer than the rest. It was not coddling or full of sympathy, it was real. "I can't do it, Dad." She whispered into his shoulder, and he knew from the tone of her voice, that walking into the apartment wasn't the only think she was admitting defeat at.


	4. Things We Don't Mean

**Update 4- Things We Don't Mean**

It is one thing to hope for something, to want something so badly that it actually hurts down to the bone. But it is something else entirely, when that one thing you hoped for more than ever, that one thing that you knew was absolutely impossible to have, suddenly becomes a reality.

It's indescribable.

Shocking.

Heartbreaking.

Two weeks ago, this very thing happened to Temperance Brennan. Her irrational, selfish, unreasonable hope was suddenly her reality. Her best friend, her partner, her confidant, the father of her child, the one person that she hoped, against her better judgment and rational intelligence, to see again, had somehow come back from the dead.

At first glance, given none of the facts, one would think that she would be joyful, celebratory, whole again. One would think she would be happy, complete, and thankful that she was given this second chance to be close to the one person that understood her beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, another reality had settled in, and in this reality, she was more lost, confused, and grief stricken than she had ever been.

She had taken all of her grief, all of her sadness, all of the knowledge that he wouldn't be back, couldn't come back and packaged it neatly in a pile in the corner of her heart. She used the knowledge of his death to empower herself to emote, to feel, to love, and to care for the one person who was the only true connection to the man she secretly loved. Her life had purpose, meaning, and though she was constantly dealing with the loss of him, she never expected him to step back into her life, and the surprise that he was alive, was only the tip of why she had no idea on how to deal with his return.

There were so many questions, so many unanswered questions that needed to be asked, though she found herself constantly silent in his hospital room, refusing to conjure the strength to ask them. He was alive, he was breathing, he called her 'Bones', and while all of those things were exactly what she had prayed for every night that he had been gone, it still crushed her heart to know that he had been alive all of these years, hiding in the shadows, while she had been dealing with the loss of him.

He was alive, and the burning questions were smoldering in her heart, igniting a deep seated rage and disappointment, betrayal, and resentment. She needed to get answers to these questions soon, for herself, for Antonia. She needed to find the truth within the jumble of lies and secrets, the only problem was that she had no idea on where to start, using her father's arms as the first step in this process, she decided that forgiveness would be the easiest cross to bear.

---------------____

Max took a step back, noting the tears that his daughter whisked away on her hand as she stood holding her daughter tightly in her arms, the little girl rested her head on her mother's shoulder without a word or expression, without notice. "Ant?" He said softly, watching Temperance lift her slightly so that Max could get a better look at her. He had visited the hospital several times, had even stopped in to see Booth while Booth was sleeping, when Temperance was sitting by his bedside, holding his hand, whispering desperately for him to awaken. He had seen the fear in her eyes, he had seen the love in her expression, and he knew that no matter what she said, or how angry she became with him, she was not going to give up on him.

"She won't talk to me." Temperance whispered. "She said something to… to Booth, but he wouldn't tell me what she said… and I couldn't… look at… him staring back at me with those eyes, her eyes...his eyes. I can't… do this, Dad." She whispered, staring intently at her father, her eyes wide with a torturous fear.

"Tempe, it's okay." He said softly, his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner, he tipped his head and gave her a supportive smile. "It's going to take time, Tempe… that's all we can do, is wait… and try to heal." He whispered.

"I can't…" She said, stepping through the apartment quickly, pulling from her father's supportive hand, she walked toward the couch. She lifted her daughter to the soft cushions, and without a fight, the little girl sat down and stared off into space. "See? That's what she does… all day, she just sits there and stares off into nothing, like she's waiting for something, like… like there's something that's missing."

"There is something missing." He said from behind the couch, Temperance's eyes meeting his, wide with surprise. "She doesn't know what is safe anymore. She has some… physical issues, that remind her constantly of the situation, and I'm sure that there is mental trauma. You don't know what happened to her in that warehouse, Tempe. You don't know how she felt, or what she saw… only she saw it, and that's what's going through her mind now. She's trying to protect herself. Have you asked Booth what happened?"

"He won't talk about it." She said, watching her father carefully as he tipped his head.

"Have you actually asked him about it, Tempe?" He whispered.

"No." She swallowed hard and watched him carefully. "He won't give a police statement yet. I don't think he trusts them."

"I don't blame him." Max said, watching Temperance's eyes widen slightly. "He's been tossed around like garbage, Tempe. He isn't strong enough yet to focus on the consequences of his actions. They have him chained to the bed like a criminal… like a fugitive."

"He is… was a fugitive." Temperance said, turning her face from her father's gaze before he watched her eyes deceive her stoic position. "He ran away from his government appointed position, Dad! He took their money, and he disappeared off the grid! He revealed confidential secrets that put other people in danger. He's being punished for that, for those things he did."

"He was forced off the grid, Tempe. He was trying to protect you, trying to protect his family."

"Trying to protect us?" Temperance huffed angrily in her father's direction. "We aren't his family, he has no reason to protect us! It was his supposed protection that got Antonia taken from us in the first place! If he wanted to protect us, he'd leave us alone, and never come back again!" She exclaimed angrily, turning from her father and her daughter, she started to walk away, when she felt Max's hand on her arm, she turned to face him, expecting his eyes to be filled with sympathy, and instead, she saw the disappointment in his eyes.

"Tempe, stop right now." He said, his hand firm on her arm. She could turn and storm off if she wanted, but she glanced to her side, and immediately noticed that Antonia was watching her every move, something she hadn't done in days. She held her daughter's gaze. "You're saying these things because you're hurt… you're angry, and you're hurt."

"I mean them." She whispered angrily, letting her eyes clash with her father's, her teeth grinding together in a growl, her eyes flashing fire.

"You don't mean them, Tempe." Max said definitively.

"I hate him." She whispered, meaning for the words to be forceful, but hearing them only as a whimper. "I hate him."

"You don't hate him, Tempe." He whispered. "You want to hate him, but you don't. You haven't let him tell you his side of the story."

"I can't talk to him." She said desperately. "I can't… I can't talk to him."

"I am sure that he understands." Max replied, slowly releasing his hold on her arm as she watched him warily.

"I can't talk to him, but…there is so much I need to know. I need to know how he… why? I need to hear it from him, but I can't even look at him without feeling sick to my stomach." She whispered, her eyes flicking to her daughter as she listened intently and silently.

"Tempe." Max whispered. "The last thing that Booth wanted to do was betray your trust." He cleared his throat, speaking solemnly. "He sacrificed his freedom and his safety to watch over you. He deserves to be heard, and I don't think that it will be a problem if you organize your thoughts first. I don't think it will be a problem, if you take the time to accept the fact that he is alive. But before you run off to some foreign country, and drag Antonia along… to escape… you have to realize two very important things. The first thing is… that you can't leave him hanging. You have to tell him something, even if it is that you need time and space. Tell him yourself that you need to organize your thoughts, and that you need to find a place for him in your heart… that you need to think. The second thing, is that you are not the only one involved in this anymore. When he left, you were… but there is something much bigger at stake here now." Max said with a slight nod toward the little girl.

"I need to lie down." She said tiredly, her head shaking softly.

"Go on into the spare bedroom." Max nodded. "I'll watch after Antonia."

"Thank you, Dad." Temperance whispered, turning toward the bedroom again, she turned after a moment, getting her father's attention. "And Dad…" She swallowed hard as she spoke the next words. "There's already a place for him in my heart, a big place… it's been empty since he died. I just don't know if I can get to it, with all of these other things in my way." She whispered while she turned around, and walked into the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind herself.

* * *

Booth resisted the hug that his friend was giving him, his only free hand remained on the toy that Antonia had left in the room. He didn't know what to say, or what to do, but when Cam straightened and pulled from the hug, she looked him in the eyes and smiled at him. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her lower lip had slipped between her teeth as she chewed upon it. "I can't believe it." She whispered, shaking her head. "I mean, I can believe it… I want to believe it, I believe it… but I just… I can't believe it." Cam babbled as she shook her head and grasped his hand between hers. "How?" She asked. "Why?"

"I…" Booth paused, closing his eyes tightly, he let some of the tears slip down his cheeks slowly. "I wish I could tell you why, or how." He said softly.

"I would have come to see you sooner." Cam nodded, standing over his bed, she gripped his hand for a moment. "I mean, I came in here… when you were sleeping a couple of times right after surgery, but now that you're awake, you know? I thought I'd give Doctor Brennan some time, she took your death so… I mean… I just… I can't believe you're sitting here in front of me." She said, covering her mouth with her hand, she held in the sob she wanted to release as she watched him and shook her head in disbelief. "You're right here…right here with me." She whispered.

"Camille, please don't…" Booth said, his eyes pleading as the tears ran down his cheeks. She stepped forward and touched his face.

"I just can't believe you're… I mean… when we heard that you were alive, I swear that Angela was ready to come right here immediately and kill you herself. Doctor Brennan has been an absolute wreck since your death, she just… shut herself off completely to everyone, and you know, she has her daughter… she… she has opened her up a lot, but… there are just so many questions, so many things that we just don't understand, or…"

"Cam… stop…" He groaned, watching her eyes widen as he tried not to look so horribly tired and broken. "Just, please stop for a second, take a breath." He muttered.

"What happened, Seeley?" She whispered.

"I don't know where to start." He whispered. "I wish I knew where to start… but I don't."

"It's alright, Seeley… it'll all come out in time." She said, running her fingers over his forehead as she watched his eyes closely.

"Bones." He whispered. "I need you to check on Bones."

"Doctor Brennan? Did something happen? Antonia was released this morning, right?"

"She hates me." He said, half choking on the sob released from his lungs. "She hates me so much."

"Seeley." Cam said, her voice becoming very serious as she watched the tears roll down his cheeks. "Seeley, she doesn't hate you. She's just… in a very strange place now, and she doesn't know what to think, what to do. She…"

"She isn't going to let me see her."

"Her?"

"Antonia, Cam. She's not going to let me see her again." He whispered, taking a deep breath to suppress the sob in his lungs.

"I don't understand." Cam said, obviously trying to pretend that she was unaware of the connection of the little girl to her former lover. She watched Booth tip his head and give her a look of disbelief.

"Don't pretend you don't know, Cam. You are a very, very bad liar." He said, closing his eyes at a sharp pain in his side.

"My assumption has never been confirmed, Booth. It's not as if she talks about it with me, with anyone. I don't even think she's told Angela. It's the elephant in the room, for sure."

"I know what Bones did, Camille, we all know, it isn't a secret, and you know that." He said, trying to calm himself, the pain of his injuries sending sparks of pain through his body. You've read the report, you've talked to Ace. You know what has been going on." He said, almost sternly, watching his friend nod her head. He then took a deep breath suddenly, watching her closely. "Speaking of elephants." He whispered softly, pulling the small elephant from beside him, he held it up. "I need someone… to bring this to Antonia." He whispered. "She forgot it here, this morning. I don't want her to miss him."

"Deuce." Cam whispered as she lifted the toy from Booth's grasp, watching him nod tenderly, his eyes not leaving the toy as she took his hand. "I can bring him to Doctor Brennan." She whispered.

"Thank you, Cam." He whispered. "Here… this one too." He said, handing the other elephant off to Cam, who smiled at the new companion, and tilted her head questioningly. "I don't know where he came from." He shrugged. "But they make a good pair, huh?" He said, attempting a slight smile, that made Cam's smile widen slightly.

"I should probably get these to her soon…" She nodded. "I just had to come in and check on you. I needed to see you for myself."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere…" He said, moving his other hand, clanging the handcuffs against the railing. "Not for a while, anyway." He gave her a wry smile as she squeezed his hand one more time. "Thank you, Cam." He whispered.

"For what?" She asked, standing up straight, she gathered the two toys in her hands and watched Booth avoid eye contact for a second.

"Thank you for not hating me." He said, allowing his eyes to clash with hers, she simply smiled.

"You're going to have to do a hell of a lot more than coming back from the dead to get me to hate you, Seeley. I was madder at you for dying." She whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead softly. "We're going to do our best to get you out of here." She said, taking a step back toward the door, as she began to leave.

"Thank you, Camille." He said softly after her, though the door was already closed, and he was once again left alone with his thoughts.


	5. Friends and Fright

**Update 5- Friends and Fright**

When Temperance opened her eyes again, she could see that it was beginning to get dark outside. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so unbelievably exhausted, her body groaned along with her as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She listened for a moment, her eyes open, staring at the light that streaked across the white ceiling from the sunset outside, and she heard the sound of voices talking quietly in the next room. She could hear her father's voice, and the voice of another man, possibly Hodgins. Her thoughts were confirmed when she heard Angela's voice, soft and fast, almost frantic. She must have sensed that her friend was awake, or perhaps she had thought that she had slept enough, for after another moment, the door to the bedroom opened a crack.

"I'm awake." Temperance whispered sleepily, watching as the door opened a little more. Angela stepped into the room and closed it behind her, walking toward the bed, she crouched beside the bed as Temperance rolled to her side.

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?" Angela whispered softly, reaching out to touch her hand tenderly.

"I don't know." She whispered truthfully. "You know…" Temperance sighed sadly. "Isn't it bad enough that not too long ago I was lying here sleeping through the day because he was dead… but now I'm doing it because he's alive?" She whispered to her friend, who squeezed Temperance's hand softly.

"Do you want me to kick his ass?" She asked, watching Temperance's eyes widen slightly as they sparkled almost playfully.

"No." She said truthfully, her mouth feeling incredibly dry. Her eyes flicked to the door, and Angela squeezed her friend's hand.

"She's alright. She's with Jack and your father. She fell asleep in Jack's arms."

"He's always had a knack with her." Temperance whispered. "He loves her so much."

"We all love her, Sweetie. We all love you. That's why we're family, right? To take care of one another." She whispered.

----------

_There was a loud pounding on the door, and though Temperance knew exactly who it was, it still didn't fail to startle her. She cradled the tiny screaming bundle in her arms, whispering for her to calm, the baby's face bright red and angry as her mother made her way toward the door quickly. "Brennan, it's me!" Angela's voice exclaimed through the closed door, causing Temperance to roll her eyes as she unlocked the door and removed the chain, opening the door to her friend._

_"Of course it's you, I called you." Temperance replied as she held the bundle toward her friend. "I can't get her to stop crying. I've been trying for over an hour now, she won't calm down… she just keeps screaming." She said, her voice holding a tinge of anxiety, though her eyes were filled with worry. "I don't know what's wrong with her. I… I did everything right… she's not hungry, she just ate… she's been burped and…and she's not wet, she's…"_

_"Alright, alright… Auntie Angela is on the job…" Angela said as she stepped forward and carefully pulled the baby from her mother's arms, Temperance's eyes meeting hers as Angela handled the baby gently, and not instantly, but after several moments of gentle rocking, the baby's crying slowed, the redness of her skin began to sink back into its more natural pink hue, and after another moment or two, Antonia's eyes were closed, the tiny baby was now resting from her earlier tantrum._

_"How did you…?" Temperance asked, walking around her friend to see that Antonia had indeed fallen asleep. "I don't think she likes me." She said flatly, watching Angela turn around quickly to face her friend, her eyes were wide with surprise._

_"Brennan, don't be ridiculous!" She whispered fiercely at her friend, who was watching in wonder at her friend's easy handling of her two week old daughter. It wasn't the first time since they had returned from the hospital that Temperance had called her friend to quell the screaming child, and it most likely wouldn't be the last. "She loves you."_

_"Ange, she's a newborn child… she doesn't know what love is."_

_"If I did not have this baby in my arms right now, Temperance Brennan, I swear I would smother you with that pillow over there." Angela stated in a hushed tone, moving toward the rocking chair in the room as she shook her head at her friend. "Now sit down here…"_

_"Where?"_

_"The rocking chair, sit down in the rocking chair, and I'll hand her off to you."_

_"She seems quite content with you holding her." Temperance said, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched her friend rock the baby, her eyes holding what could almost be perceived as a jealousy._

_"Sit." Angela said, her voice slightly more forceful, her face showing her friend that she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Temperance sat down in the chair, carefully pulling a blanket from the arm of the chair over her lap as Angela very carefully bent down to place her in her mother's arms. Antonia began to stir, making noises that indicated that she was waking up, and Temperance's eyes pleaded with Angela to take her once more before the baby began to scream once again. She was immediately met with a glare from Angela, an indication that she needed to just do as she was asked. She took the baby in her arms just as the little girl's eyes opened, her unfocused eyes settled on her mother, and for a moment, Temperance thought she was going to start to cry._

_"What do I do now?" Temperance asked, watching as the baby started to fuss, her eyes moving to her friend, who was shaking her head above her._

_"Sing to her, Brennan. Rock her… talk to her… list the elements on the periodic table… she doesn't care, as long as she can hear your voice, as long as she knows that you're going to keep her safe, that you love her, that you're not afraid of her."_

_"I am not afraid of her." Temperance argued, suddenly anxious as Antonia began to cry once more. "Ange…" She said, watching her friend cross her arms over her chest and shake her head. "Ange, please…?" She said as she looked down at the fussing baby, her tiny bottom lip sticking out in a pout as her tiny nose scrunched up, and a squeaking cry escaped. "Hey… hey there… no crying…" She said softly, suddenly self conscious, she had no idea what to say to such a tiny thing, such a dependent thing. "Hey…" She whispered as she began to rock slowly in the rocking chair, a soft lullaby whispering in her ears as she began to softly hum. She couldn't quite remember where she had heard the lullaby, but it came to her effortlessly, the tune so familiar and so part of her that it was almost as if someone was singing it to her. It took only a moment or two, and soon enough, Antonia was sleeping in her mother's arms, rocking gently along with the lullaby, as Angela looked on proudly._

----------

"When did you get here?" Temperance asked, still lying on her side.

"About an hour ago."

"Have you been to the hospital?" She whispered, almost immediately, her mind constantly firing thoughts through her head, as the vision of Booth lying in that bed so broken and hurt, his eyes boring into her as she spoke those words in anger.

"No." Angela shook her head. "I'm not ready to see him just yet. Cam was there… she brought Deuce home."

Temperance sat up slightly with a gasp. "Deuce." She covered her face with her hand. "Oh God, I can't believe we forgot him at the hospital. She would have had a fit. I need to call Cam… tell her thank you." Temperance said, starting to pull herself from the bed as Angela grabbed her hand.

"Woah, woah… slow down there, sweetie…" Angela said, pulling her friend's hand so she wouldn't stand up. "Just hang on here for a second. Antonia hardly even noticed he was missing. Jack and I picked up Deuce at Cam's place, and then we came here. Everything is fine."

"I need to tell Cam that I need a little bit more…"

"Time off? She's put you out for the next week. She says you have enough vacation time saved up to take a three year paid vacation. You need to heal."

"Heal? I'm not injured, Angela. The suspect only…"

"You know what I mean, sweetie. Don't play dumb with me. There are a lot of psychological issues that are going to be attached to this. You have little A to think of here. She is going to need to see someone."

"You mean a psychologist?"

"I mean someone to talk to… a psychologist, a priest, a…"

"Not a priest." Temperance interrupted swiftly, her eyes directly on her friend's.

"Maybe Sweets can help." Angela shrugged.

"Sweets left the FBI years ago, Angela. I don't even know where he's practicing. Besides, he'll have a field day with this. I don't want him invading my life like he…"

"He's a friend, Brennan." Angela said with a bit of force. "He left the FBI because of what they did, how they handled everything, you know that. If you didn't push everyone you cared about away, you'd see that he will be there for you, for you and Booth. He was a good friend."

"I didn't push everyone I cared about away." She said stubbornly, as Angela shook her head, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Not everyone, no." Angela conceded.

"I feel like I'm grieving all over again." She whispered suddenly, her eyes wide and uncertain. "It's strange… it's just… it feels so strange. I just wish that I had some answers."

"Sweetie… the answers will come in time." She said, glancing to the door as it opened slowly, and Hodgins appeared in the doorway, the small body of the little girl connected to him as he gave her a sad smile. "You just have to give it some time to heal." She said, standing up, she let Hodgins pass her as he knelt before Temperance, carefully lifting the girl to her mother's arms, she barely moved, her arms gripping the two toys in her grasp, and Hodgins looked into Temperance's eyes with a friendly smile.

"She's going to be alright, Doctor B." He whispered, putting his hand on hers.

"You don't know that." She whispered back, her eyes flicking to the small bundle in her arms.

"I think that with the amount of love that she has in her life, and the number of people who are here to protect her. She'll be alright." He said softly, squeezing her hand softly. "Angela and I are going to get going, but we'll be by tomorrow afternoon. Maybe the four of us can get together for lunch."

"I don't know, if she's not…"

"It'll do you both good to get out and do something normal, something stress free and normal. What do you say?" He asked, squeezing her hand again.

"You're not going to take no for an answer."

"That's right." He said, a smile rising on his lips as he nodded his head.

"Then we'll see you tomorrow." Temperance said softly, squeezing his hand back, as he stood up and watched her for a moment more, before leaving the room quietly with Angela, closing the door behind them.

Temperance sat on the bed silently, feeling the weight of her daughter in her arms. She suddenly felt sleepy again, the exhaustion of the past two weeks still weighing her down as she turned and gently placed the little girl onto the pillow beside her. She carefully pulled the blanket to cover her, and tucked herself back beneath the blankets. Closing her eyes, she could hear her friends saying goodbye to her father, the gentle sound of his voice as he closed and locked the door as she drifted off.

Somewhere within her dreams though, she could hear the soft, sweet sound of her daughter's voice, whispering.

_"Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray dear Lord, my soul to keep. May angels guard me through the night, and keep me safe till morning light."_

She awoke with a start, the sound of her daughter's voice echoing in her mind, her hand reaching out in the darkness to touch her, to reassure herself that Antonia was there, and panicked suddenly when she realized her daughter was no longer by her side.

Temperance leapt from the bed, tumbling through the darkness toward the door, she suddenly noticed the figure in the window. The little girl was awake, standing by the window, her hand pressed firmly against the glass as she stared out into the night. "Antonia?" Temperance whispered, watching her daughter start, the little girl turned, and the shadow of her surprised expression on her face. "He can't come tonight." She whispered as the little girl continued to stare at her mother. "He's in the hospital, remember?"

Antonia nodded, glancing toward the bed, she turned and ran toward the bed, leaping onto the mattress, she burrowed beneath the blankets, not a word was spoken as Temperance watched the little girl for a moment, her eyes flashing to the window, where sitting on the windowsill was her daughter's two little elephants, waiting and watching just as the little girl had been doing, just as still and just as quiet as she had been.

Temperance moved toward the bed and climbed beneath the blankets again, and in a moment, Antonia was clinging to her tightly, a small whimper emitted between her lips as Temperance held her tightly. "It's alright, baby." She whispered. "Mama is here…Mama Bones is here…"


	6. Crack the Quack

**Update # 6- Crack the Quack**

Temperance glanced at her watch and sighed as she continued to tap her foot against the tiled floor. She normally wasn't this antsy, but she hated having to wait for someone. Antonia sat quietly in the seat next to her, her hands clutching both stuffed elephants, her eyes locked on the receptionist seated behind the mahogany desk across from them. The elevator dinged, catching Antonia's attention, and when the doors opened, out walked a stocky man in his mid to late 50's with salt and pepper hair. He was dressed in a brown tweed jacket and he smelled of tobacco and peppermint as he walked by, smiling faintly. He passed the receptionist and walked straight into the adjoining office, leaving Temperance fuming. She stood up from the chair and marched across to the mahogany desk.

"Excuse me," she said to the receptionist, "but my daughter and I have been waiting for nearly twenty minutes. I don't really see how it's fair for that man to just walk right into the office and-"

"Doctor Brennan?" A voice interrupted her.

She turned to see the stocky man standing in the doorway to the office. He held a manila folder in his hand and he swept his eyes back and forth between her and Antonia.

"Yes?" She replied, irritated as she turned to face him.

"You may step inside my office now," He informed her, opening the door wider and moving his had in a sweeping motion for her to enter.

Temperance stalked away from the desk and gently grasped Antonia's hand. The little girl stood without question and silently followed her mother as they passed through the lobby and into the office.

"Sit wherever you'd like," the man instructed as he closed the door and sat down in a chair across from where Temperance and Antonia were now seated. "I'm Doctor Braxton Wilson," he introduced himself. He held Antonia's eyes and smiled at her, "And who do we have here?"

A look of confusion crossed over Temperance's features. "I'm Doctor Temperance Brennan, and this is my daughter, Antonia... which you should already be informed of because we're on your schedule today for a two o'clock appointment."

"Uh, yes..." Doctor Wilson replied hesitantly, "Yes, you're right. Sorry If I was a few minutes late."

"Twenty minutes. You were twenty minutes late, which is highly more than just a few, Doctor Wilson."

"Right, well... my apologies just the same," he said with a tight-lipped smile. "Why don't we start by telling me a little bit about yourself and your daughter, Doctor Brennan? Or can I call you Temperance?"

"Doctor Brennan will be fine."

"Alright..." he nodded. "So, tell me a little bit about yourself, Doctor Brennan."

"I'm a forensic anthropologist and I work at the Jeffersonian Institute, which you should already be informed of, as well."

When she didn't elaborate, Doctor Wilson motioned to Antonia. "And this is your daughter, Antonia, correct?"

"Yes, I think I already made that clear."

Doctor Wilson smiled again at Antonia, who continued to silently stare at him, and then looked back up at Temperance. "And what brings you two here today?"

"I don't understand why you're asking that question. Antonia's doctor should have sent you the paperwork so you'd know why we were here. Did you get that information, or should I call his office?"

"I received the information, Doctor Brennan, but as Antonia's psychologist, I am here to ask to the questions. And you, as the minor patient's mother, are here to respond," he clarified sharply.

"And I have been responding, Doctor Wilson, but your questions so far are unnecessary," she replied offensively.

"Doctor Brennan, we seem to be talking in circles here, so why don't we amicably agree to move forward?" He smiled. "Shall we?"

"I can agree to that," she nodded.

"Okay then," Doctor Wilson said with his pen and paper in hand, "it is my understanding that Antonia has not been speaking. How long has this been going on?"

"About three weeks now," Temperance replied.

"Did she experience any trauma to cause this?"

Temperance slid her eyes over to Antonia's small figure. She sat with the stuffed elephants in her lap, her head down as she ran her fingers over their soft fur. Though she was not making eye contact, Temperance knew she was listening to every word being said between the two adults. She cleared her throat and looked back up at Doctor Wilson.

"About three weeks ago... there was a situation. I know that the media covered it to an extent, but for the most part, it was kept under wraps," she spoke softly.

"Hm, yes...," he replied, remembering the media coverage of the little girl's kidnapping, "that must have been very traumatic for her. Was she harmed in any way? Physically, I mean?" He asked.

"She was barefoot... when she was taken. Her feet were banged up when we found her. There were a few minor scratches and bruises. The man… that saved her, he won't give any detailed information into how he found her or what her condition was, or what happened in the building that she was found, though it's our assumption that he was able to keep her from harm." Temperance cleared her throat as she watched the doctor write down several notes, his eyes never leaving his paper as he realized she had stopped talking. "She was kept in the hospital for two weeks for dehydration and monitoring. Other than that... no, she was not hurt physically." Temperance watched Antonia as she tried to slide from the chair, her eyes on several toys in the corner. She reached her hand out and touched her daughter's shoulder, and though the little girl didn't flinch, she slid back onto the chair and put her head down again.

"Tell me more about this person that saved her. You say that he won't give any detailed information? He isn't cooperating with the police? Did your daughter know him before this incident?"

"I'm not here to discuss him, Doctor Wilson." Temperance straightened herself, reaching her hand back to Antonia once again as she tried to slide herself from the chair, her eyes on the toys in the corner once again.

"Doctor Brennan, you can let her explore. There shouldn't be anything in this office that will cause her harm. Those toys are there to be played with." Doctor Wilson said, clearing his throat.

Temperance was unsure of the doctor, but allowed Antonia to slide from the chair, and she made a beeline toward the toys in the corner. She knelt down with her two elephants in her hands, tucking them beneath her arm, she pulled several blocks from a small red bucket.

"Doctor Brennan," The psychologist said as her attention snapped back to the man before her. "Tell me how Antonia behaved before this incident." He asked slowly, her eyes moving back to the little girl and she opened her mouth to speak and just as she turned her head to look at the doctor, a block came flying across the room, slamming into the small table that sit between the two adults.

"Antonia, please don't throw blocks!" Temperance exclaimed as she watched her daughter lift a block from the box and raise it above her head. "Antonia… put it down." She said, her voice deep with seriousness, her daughter's eyes fell, and her hand swung down, the block tumbling to the floor. Temperance looked at the doctor and sighed, her eyes were filled with desperation as she swallowed hard. "She was a happy little girl. She was always, always talking… to everyone," She whispered quietly. "Fearless… laughing… and now all she does is…" As she started to finish the sentence, another block came flying from the corner, bouncing from the table, it landed in the doctor's lap. "Antonia, please!" Temperance exclaimed as she stood up, taking another block off her knee, she watched Antonia move from around the little play table and avoid her mother swiftly. "Antonia." Temperance said her name sternly, though she could see the fear in her daughter's eyes when she spoke. "Come see mama, baby…" She whispered softly.

"Doctor Brennan, you mustn't coddle her." The psychologist said as he walked over toward the corner where the little girl started at the approach of the man.

"Coddle her? She is terrified!" Temperance said, her first instinct was to grab her daughter and leave the office immediately, she watched the man kneel down on the other side of the tiny children's table.

"If you coddle her, she will only continue to take advantage of you. You must remain stern. What she needs is discipline, it appears."

"Excuse me?" Temperance exclaimed, standing up, above the doctor, she looked down at the man as he held his hands out to Antonia.

"Antonia, dear," The man said, his voice soft but stern. "Come on over to the chairs…we can sit and talk."

Antonia grabbed a block from the box, and took a step back.

"Antonia, this behavior is not acceptable. We must talk about this… put the block down, dear." He spoke evenly and sternly, and the way the little girl was looking at him right now, he was preparing for that block to hit him. "Please put the block down." He spoke.

"Toni." Temperance tried, the little girl's eyes snapped to her mother's, and the block dropped from her hand. "Listen to Doctor Wilson, please?"

"Antonia?" Doctor Wilson said, the little girl pushed her way into the corner and closed her eyes, her body was trembling with fear.

"Doctor…" Temperance said, her voice now stern, she wanted him to back off, before something happened.

"Oh… don't close your eyes, sweetness…" The doctor said in a soft tone, when suddenly he watched Antonia's eyes open wide, her arms wrapped tighter around the toys in her arms, and it was as if something clicked in her mind, and those words by the man who had attacked Deuce echoed through her mind, the same words that Doctor Wilson had just uttered. The words that he had spoken had obviously triggered something, and without warning, without expectation, the little girl reached to her side and gripped the handle of a foam bat that was sitting beside the table. With one hefty swing of the bat, it connected with the side of the doctor's head, sending his glasses hurtling into the air, and his body jarring to the side.

"Antonia!" Temperance exclaimed as she stepped forward and grabbed the little girl from the corner, her hands now gripping her mother with all of her strength, her fingernails digging into her mother's skin as the doctor grabbed his glasses and stood up quickly, absolutely mortified at the situation.

He straightened himself and looked at her firmly, the tiny child in her mother's arms was trembling fiercely. "Doctor Brennan, I think our time is up here."

"You are goddamned straight our time is up here! You make me wait twenty minutes for this appointment! Then you get us in here and insult me, you insult my daughter! What were you thinking? What were you thinking cornering her like that?" Temperance demanded. "What kind of psychologist are you? First you tell me that I don't discipline my daughter, then you corner her like a caged dog? I told you what happened! I told you what happened and I was looking for help! All you've succeeded in doing is frightening her further! This was a total and complete waste of time!" She shouted as she headed for the door.

"Doctor Brennan, you can make your next appointment with my secretary…" Doctor Wilson spoke sternly as he watched her head toward the door angrily, it was obviously the wrong thing to say. She whirled around swiftly and approached him quickly.

"Next Appointment? Next appointment? Do you have some sort of mental handicap? You think I'm going to come back here after that stunt you just pulled?"

"Doctor Brennan, your daughter is in dire need of mental care, I can suggest a psychiatrist, who can prescribe her some medication that will help…"

"Medication?!" She exclaimed. "So not only do you think I should discipline her more, you think I should dope her up so that she'll talk? Where did you get your license? It should be revoked immediately!" Temperance exclaimed, her emotions obviously getting the best of her as she swung the door open. "I knew this was a mistake!" She shouted as she stormed from the room, ensuring her daughter had her two stuffed animals, she angrily stomped past the secretary's desk and out the door into the humid summer air.

As soon as she reached the car, she realized how out of breath she was, and Antonia's grip still had not released. "It's okay, baby… we're out of there now… it's okay…" She whispered as she rocked her daughter carefully, leaning against the car. "We're out of there… you're safe… you're safe. Mama is here…" She said as she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She turned and gripped Antonia tightly, lifting the phone to her ear quickly. "Hello."

"Temperance, are you okay?" Harding's voice could sense the tension in her voice immediately, he could hear that she was out of breath.

"What do you want, Harding? I'm busy right now." She said, bouncing Antonia carefully as her grip slowly released, and she began to calm.

"I… Booth is being transferred this evening."

"Transferred?"

"To a minimum security facility near Baltimore."

"The doctor said they weren't going to transfer him until next week."

"I guess they changed their mind. He'd really like to see you." Harding said, his voice was soft and questioning.

"Christopher."

"He'd really like it if you'd come see him before he's transferred, Temperance." There was a pause over the line, and if it hadn't been for the sound of traffic through the line, he would have thought that she had hung up on him. "Temperance?"

"I'll be there in an hour." She said. "I have to drop Antonia off with my father." She said, flipping the phone closed and proceeded to soothe her daughter before making her way back to Max's house.


	7. Truth and Tirade

**Update 7- Truth and Tirade**

"Is she coming?" Booth asked Harding as he opened the door. Booth's voice was much clearer than it had been in days. His bruises were beginning to lighten, and there weren't nearly as many tubes attached to him as there were a week earlier. He was on less pain medication, and was able to move a little more than previously, which had sped their decision to transfer him to minimum security prison.

"She said she'd be here." Harding nodded, stepping back into the room. He gave his friend a half smile and stepped closer to the bed, settling in the uncomfortable chair beside his friend.

"It's been a week." Booth whispered softly, moving his hand anxiously as he sighed, tipping his head back on his pillow. "I haven't seen them or heard from them in a week."

"Don't let her silence fool you, man. The nurse at the front desk says she's called at least six times a day to check on you since she went home. You're definitely not the last thing on her mind."

"You're making that up." Booth replied, watching Harding try to hide his smirk as he shook his head.

"You're right… it's actually been more like eight times a day." Harding said, tipping the chair back slightly against the wall, he watched Booth fidget more. "You really need to cut that out."

"Cut what out?"

"The constant shaking… She'll be here within the hour. She has to bring Antonia to her father's house."

"I wanted to see Antonia too." Booth said, moving slightly, he winced at the pain. "I need to see her too."

"I think under the circumstances, Booth… it's best she doesn't see you carted away, handcuffed to your gurney." Harding shrugged. "But then again, what do I know about kids."

"I miss her." Booth whispered. "I miss both of them."

"I know." Harding nodded.

"Did I tell you what she said to me?" He whispered.

"Not today." Harding rolled his eyes. "She's traumatized."

"I know." He sighed. "I just... I want to help her. I miss her."

"I know... I know." Harding sighed.

"Any news about your reinstatement?"

"Nothing." Harding replied. "They're waiting on your statement. They're checking into the details of the case, to see if I did anything that would warrant dismissal."

"I have nothing more to say." He whispered. "I'm not putting myself in a position to be put away for longer than they're already gunning for. I think the charges against me are enough."

"You should be suing their asses off for putting you through this, Deuce. There's no reason that you should have to suffer for their incompetence. It's not your fault the plane exploded, it was their decision to put you into the program, you didn't sign anything."

"I couldn't sign anything, I was in a coma. They had a proxy sign for me."

"And who was your medical proxy?"

"Rebecca." He whispered. "Bones wasn't involved in the case, and they referred to Rebecca since she was going into the program as well. It wasn't until I woke up that I knew what was going on. It wasn't until I woke up that I found out that they had taken Rebecca and Parker away. It was legal, by the book… but it wasn't what I wanted. I ended up alone, with no family. I needed my family, Ace. I need my son… and I needed Bones… and when I found out about Antonia, I knew that I needed her too."

"So Rebecca knows that you're alive?"

"She knew that I was in a coma. I don't know what she knows now. I don't know where she is, where my boy is. I don't know what she's told him, or who is… who is raising him, I don't know who he is, Ace. My own son, and I don't even know who he is anymore." Booth said, as he began to become emotional.

"We're going to find Parker, Booth." Harding replied. "They have no reason to keep them in the program anymore. They have no reason to keep him from you. The threat is gone."

"Once you're in the system permanently, you're in the system permanently." Booth argued.

"I am sure there is something that we can do." Harding nodded, watching Booth's gaze become far away once again, as his hand continued to tap on the rail of the bed, waiting for Temperance to show up.

* * *

It was nearly forty five minutes later when the door to the room opened. Booth's eyes darted to the door, as did Harding as he stood up, seeing Temperance standing in the doorway, he glanced to Booth. "I'll let you guys talk." He said, smiling sadly at his friend, who nodded.

"You don't have to go, Christopher." Temperance said with a short, stern voice. "This won't take long." She said coldly.

Harding looked between Temperance and Booth and nodded. "I have to get something from my car." He excused himself and walked out the door. Temperance's eyes followed him from the room, and Booth watched her stare at the closing door for another moment.

"Bones." He said softly, trying to get her attention.

"Some things don't change, I see." She said, snapping her eyes in the direction of Booth, he could see the cold, icy gaze and knew that he had to tread extremely lightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Still using Christopher as your message service? If you want to see me, Booth, you call me. Do you understand? I'm not going to be dragged to you by your friends every time you have an issue. If you want to talk to me, you call me."

"Bones."

"No." She shook her head, walking toward the bed angrily. "No, no… you don't get to talk just yet. You don't get to talk right now, it's my turn."

"Bones, please…" He whispered.

"No. No. I'm tired of listening to people, hearing people talk to me, tell me things. I am tired of hearing things about you, about what's going on and not knowing what the truth is, and what is a lie! I'm tired of being lied to! I'm tired of being deceived! I am tired! I am tired because every night for the past week, I have woken up in the middle of the night to find my daughter standing at her window waiting for a man who is never going to come back! She waits for you, Booth! She waits by that window every night with her toys sitting patiently beside her! She sits in that window and she waits! The only time I hear her voice is when she thinks I'm sleeping… she whispers to her toys, whispers prayers into the night! Do you see what you've done? Why did you do this to me? Why would you do this to me?"

"Bones!" He exclaimed suddenly, her eyes widening at his sudden outburst. "I wasn't supposed to come back." He replied, calmly and rationally as he watched the tears pooling in her eyes. "I was supposed to stay dead… forever. You were never supposed to know that I was alive."

"Why?" She asked, her strong voice suddenly cracking as she faltered in her demeanor, quickly covering herself with an obvious throat clearing. "Why on earth would you want to stay dead? That is just stupid, Booth! It's..."

"It's because the last thing in the world I wanted to do was break your fucking heart, Temperance!" Booth exclaimed forcefully. He watched her jaw slam shut, her eyes widen. "I knew that if I came back then you would feel betrayed! I knew that if I suddenly appeared back in your life, that you would hate me forever! That you'd push me away and run! That you'd take Antonia…" He screamed. His breathing began to become erratic, and his eyes were wild with fear. "I lost my family, Bones! I lost my family, and you were all that I had, and I couldn't break your heart!"

"And who says that I even cared that you were gone?" She said sharply, trying desperately to hold her emotions in check.

"The fact that you visit my grave almost every day… you talked to me as if I was still here… the fact that you used my stuff and made a kid with it, Bones! Doesnt that say anything to you? What about the fact that you went into that warehouse to find me? You knew that I was in there! You knew that I was there, and you knew I was in danger, but you still went in there! What about… the fact that you didn't let Gomez kill me when he had the chance, in order to save yourself! If you really hated me, Bones… If you really wanted me dead, you would never have done that."

"I never said she was yours, Booth. I never said that Antonia was yours!" She exclaimed, her cheeks red with anger, or embarassment, or something that he couldn't quite figure out.

"Come on, Bones. Maybe you have everyone in the lab stumped as to why she looks like me, but you can't fool me. A man knows his own child when he sees it, he knows." He said softly but forcefully, his emotions starting to get the best of him, as his brow furrowed and he looked her directly in the eye, his gaze intense. "And why wouldn't you want me to risk my life for you? Why not? Why… after all of this time, the betrayal, the lying… the sneaking around behind your back, and almost literally in front of your face! Why wouldn't you want me dead? I did something unforgivable, and I made your friends and family lie to you about it! I betrayed you, Bones. Why would you save me?"

"I wanted answers." She said, her voice lowering to almost a pout as she felt the tears in her eyes, her body pushed against the bed as she stared down at him. "I wanted the truth." She whispered.

"So you saved my life, because you wanted answers? Don't you think that's a little selfish? Don't you think that is a little petty? You want the truth? The truth is… I was dead." He shrugged, the anger that had been mounting slowly draining him, his voice softened. "Every moment that I couldn't talk to you, every moment I couldn't be near you, every moment Bones… Every single moment, I was dead." He said, his voice calm as he stared intensely into her eyes. "I had to come out of hiding to save Antonia. I needed to save you."

"I don't want to be saved." She said, scornfully, her eyes still filled with tears. "I don't need to be saved, I can take care of myself. I can take care of Antonia… I don't need you." She said, anger laced in her voice as she took a step back.

"Bones." Booth said softly, trying not to set her off again.

"I have to go, Booth." She said, straightening up, she sighed, wiping the tear from her cheek. "I have to go… and you have to… go… and…"

"Will you visit me, Bones? Will you come and talk to me? Will you bring Antonia to see me? I don't know if I can do this alone."

"I don't know."

"I need someone on my side, Bones. I have no one. They took Rebecca and Parker into protection, I don't have them. I have no clue where Jared is. I have no family. I don't have anyone. Please?"

"I need time. I need time, and space." She whispered. "I mean… this is just… this is way too much, Booth."

"I understand." He whispered. "I understand that you need time… just… please know that I've never stopped thinking about you. Never, not for a moment did I stop thinking about you, and… when you're ready to hear it… I'll give you the truth, Bones. I'll give you the whole truth." He whispered.

It took a moment as she watched his eyes, but she could see it, the understanding that was beneath the surface. She could see that he did understand, that he wanted to wait for her, he needed to wait for her. Slowly, she took a step forward, hesitant to say the least, she reached for his hand and took it in hers, their eyes never straying. She leaned down slowly, tenderly resting her forehead against his. "I just need a little bit of time." She whispered, feeling him nod tenderly beneath her touch, he felt her fingertips slide from his hand, and move to his face, lightly brushing his cheek with her hand as she tried to hold back her tears. "I should go." She whispered, feeling him nod against her once more and closed his eyes. She remained with her head pressed against his for a moment longer, her fingers still lightly rubbing the rough stubble of his cheek, before he felt the warmth of her lips pressed to his. It was not a lingering kiss, or a passion filled kiss, but a hopeful kiss. It was light and warm, and hopeful. It was only a second, and she lifted her head, hovering for a moment, as he opened his eyes. She carefully ran her thumb over his temple, watching his eyes for a moment. She then straightened up and took a deep breath. "I'll see you later, Booth." She whispered.

"See you later, Bones." He whispered, his eyes full of hope as she lingered for a moment, those crystal blue eyes staring at him, full of love and fear at the same time. "Tell Toni that I love her… tell her that she doesn't have to be afraid anymore."

"I'll tell her." Temperance said softly, biting her lower lip, she turned and walked quickly toward the door, her hand on the handle, she turned back toward him for a moment. "I'll tell her, and…when she's ready…I promise that I will bring her to see you." She whispered, catching the ghost of a smile on his lips as she opened it slowly, watching him the entire way out of the room.

Temperance stepped out of the room and turned toward the elevator, nearly running into someone, she jumped back apologizing. Looking up, she realized that the person she had nearly run over was Harding. "Christopher." She said softly, as if she were surprised to see him there, even though she had seen him just moments before.

"Please tell me that you're going to forgive him, Doc."

"What I do, and what I don't do with my life is none of your business, Agent Harding." She said coldly, her jaw clenching in anger as she stared into his eyes.

"He is a good man, Temperance."

"I know what he is, Christopher. He is a good man, he's an honorable man... but he is also an injured man… he is a fugitive, and he is…"

"He's a good man, and you know that better than anyone, better than me." Harding replied, shoving a large accordian folder in her direction. It was filled with papers, file folders, and other case related items.

"What is this?" She asked, looking up at Harding suspiciously, the hurt reflecting in his eyes.

"Just take a look at it… the handwriting should look familiar. It's just a little background, a different perspective, and proof."

"Proof of what?"

"Proof that you could possibly be sentencing a good, honorable man to a life of loneliness." Harding said definitively, as he turned and walked into Booth's room, leaving Temperance alone in the hallway, staring at the name on the folder in her hands.

_Grace Anne Coleman_


	8. Friends Dont Let Friends Freak Out

**Update 8- Friends don't let friends freak out...**

Temperance walked into her office, sitting heavily in her chair, she looked around at the mounting files that lay in the box labeled 'in', and turning the screen on her computer, she saw the 'unread' count climb to as high as two hundred e-mails. She had been trying her best to keep up with e-mail correspondence while at the hospital, but between sitting with her daughter, and sitting with Booth, she had found very little time for doing anything other than focusing on them. Her phone had twenty three messages according to her machine, and she sighed as she noticed several of the post it notes on her desk were from her publicist, asking her to make a statement about what had happened with Antonia.

She crumpled up the post it notes and tossed them into the trash can, settling back in her chair, she tossed the file that Harding had handed her onto the desk and grabbed her cell phone. She pushed a few buttons and listened, sighing. She kept her eyes on the file and sat up a little straighter when someone picked up. She felt tense, anxious, confused. She wasn't ready to go home and face reality, so she decided that the coming to the lab would be and ideal way to find some solace.

"Hello?" Max's voice was soft on the line, and Temperance immediately relaxed to the sound of his voice. "Tempe, is that you?"

"Yeah, Dad." She sighed softly. "How is she doing?"

"She's fine." Max replied, hoping to quell his daughter's worries. "How are you doing? Did you talk to Booth?"

"Can I talk to her, please?" She whispered, ignoring her father's questions.

"Of course." Max replied. She listened through the line as she heard her father call to her daughter, and after a moment, it was evident when she heard the soft breathing of her little girl, that she was on the phone. She heard her father confirm her suspicion, and paused for a moment.

"Hey baby, its mama." She whispered. "I love you." She paused, waiting for the response she always got from her bubbly little girl. She heard nothing, and her heart sank, the sound of Antonia swallowing, and nothing more. "I love you so much, baby. I don't want you to be scared anymore. Mommy loves you so much." Temperance's voice cracked, tears coming to her eyes as she sighed. "Let me talk with Oompa, please." She sniffled. After a moment, the phone was moved, and she heard the sound of her daughter's feet across the floor. "Dad?" She sniffled.

"Sweetheart, it's going to take time."

"I know…" Temperance said, taking a deep breath. "I know."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the lab." She said, her eyes moving to the folder on her desk. "I just had to check on a couple of things, and then I was going to come home."

"Why don't we meet you there in an hour… we'll go to dinner?"

"Two hours?" She asked, hoping her father wouldn't mind the change in timing.

"Two hours." Max said, his voice confident, and no longer sad. "We'll see you in two hours." He replied, "I love you, Tempe." He said, hanging up the phone.

Temperance sniffled as she flipped her cell phone closed, staring down at the folder on her desk, she chewed her bottom lip for a moment. Her eyes were on the name on the folder, and her curiosity was beginning to get the best of her. She reached for the folder, and as soon as her fingertips touched it, she jumped at the voice coming from her doorway.

"Sweetie?" Angela said again, watching her friend's eyes, wide with surprise as she looked up at her. "What are you doing here?" She could see that Temperance had been crying, she could see that she was very upset. With no invitation or word, she moved quickly across the room. "Oh, Sweetie… are you okay?" She whispered, stepping around the desk, she wrapped her arms around her friend as she crouched down to her level.

"I'm fine, Angela." She sniffled, wiping her eye as she hugged her friend. "I'll be fine." She said, sniffling once again. "I'm okay…"

"What's going on? How did the therapy session go? Why are you even here? I thought Cam told you that you weren't coming back for a few weeks? How is Ant? Has she said anything yet?"

"Wait… wait…" Temperance said, pulling from her friend's hug. "One question at a time, Ange." She said, grabbing a tissue from the tissue box beside her, she dabbed at her eyes and sniffled. "Therapy… was not a good idea."

"Did you go see Sweets, like I said?" She asked, watching the guilty look on her friend's face as she avoided eye contact. "Sweetie! You need to see Sweets! He knows you, he'll know what to do, he'll be able to help!"

"I don't want to see Sweets, Angela." She said, wiping her tears a little more. "He knows too much… he'll have questions about… Antonia, and why… and the Booth thing on top of that, he'll just…"

"He's not going to judge, and he's not going to push his psychobabble mumbo jumbo onto you."

"I don't know what that means." She sniffled again, giving Angela a confused look.

"Brennan, listen to me." She said, putting her hands on Temperance's shoulders, she forced her to look her in the eyes. "You need help. Antonia needs help. Sweets will help!"

"Angela."

"Brennan!" Angela exclaimed, standing up straight. "You need help!"

"Stop shouting at me, Angela!" Temperance exclaimed suddenly, slamming her fist on her desk, her anger bubbling over as she pushed her chair away from her friend, she stood up. "I don't need you yelling at me too! I know that I need help!" She exclaimed, beginning to pace around the room. "I know that Antonia needs help, you don't think I know that? You don't think I see it in her eyes? You don't think that I will do anything to help her?"

"Anything but talk to Sweets." She said cooly, her demeanor serious and cold. Angela crossed her arms over her chest. "Sweetie, please? You know you can trust him."

"What am I supposed to tell him, Angela?"

"The truth."

"I don't know the truth. I don't know what to do… I don't know what I think." Temperance said with a defeated sigh, turning toward her chair, she let herself fall into it and tipped her head back, a tear running down her cheek. "I saw Booth today." She whispered. Angela remained quiet as she sat on the edge of the desk, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for her friend to continue. "They're transferring him tonight, to a place closer to Baltimore, a minimum security facility."

"Do they think he's going to run?"

"He's not going to run, Angela." Temperance said, his eyes opening to see the confusion on her face. "He can hardly walk."

"Sweetie…"

"I know what you meant." She sighed, tipping her head down to stare at her fingers for a moment. There was a very long pause between the two of them, and Angela could tell that Temperance was working through something in her mind. She waited patiently on the edge of the desk for the next movement of the conversation. "Angela?" Temperance's voice came out small, scared and confused.

"Hmm?" Angela hummed softly, setting her hand down into her friend's lap, covering one of her hands with her own.

"Is it possible to fall in love with someone after they die?" She whispered.

"Sweetie." Angela whispered, shaking her head, she waited for her friend's eyes to move to meet hers. The moment that Temperance looked into her friend's eyes, she could see that they were filled with the utmost sincerity. "You were always in love with him. It isn't a surprise to me, so I don't know why it surprises you. What makes you think that you fell in love with him afterwards?"

"Booth said… a long time ago… that good people make marks on one another, and those marks are supposed to fade away, fade away with time. Now I know he meant… metaphorical marks, and I've given it time. I have given it a lot of time." She whispered. "but sometimes... sometimes the memory of him makes new marks… sometimes it actually, physically hurts to think of him, to remember him." Temperance whispered. "And now… now what do I do?" She asked, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared into her friend's warm brown eyes. "I cared for him before the… the accident, and after he died, I… I fell in love with him, Angela. I love him so much, and it only became stronger in the time after his death. How do I tell him that? How do I tell him how I feel? If I can't tell him… if things change, if my feelings change, if they get stronger… I don't know, Angela. I don't know… How can I get… back to where I was before he was gone?"

"Sweetie." Angela said, shaking her head, her hand now resting on her best friend's shoulder. "There is no going back to the way things were, only forward. Everything happens for a reason, sweetheart… there are no coincidences. He came back from the dead for you because he loves you. He was willing to take a bullet for you, and he has in the past, Bren. I am still really, really, really mad at him… so don't think for a second that I'm not going to give him a big ole smack across his face the next time I see him, but I also know that he is willing to die for you, to kill for you. He loved you then, and he loves you now… and while you're taking this time avoiding him, make sure you don't forget that he's thinking the same things about you. He's wishing he could be with you and little A. Give it a little bit more time and focus on what you want to ask him, what you want to talk to him about… when you're ready to see him, if you need someone there, I will come with you."

"I don't need…"

"You need all the help you can get, Sweetie, and we're all here for you, every last one of us. Don't you dare think for a minute that Jack or I won't be by your side in a heartbeat. We are your friends, we want you to be well. If you need someone to watch Ant, Bren…"

"I know." She said with a nod. "You are a very good friend, Angela. I am very lucky to have someone like you in my life."

"Damn straight you're lucky!" Angela said as she hopped from the desk and leaned down to give her friend a hug, and a small peck on the cheek. "Call Sweets. Just call him." She said as she watched Temperance's half smile on her lips. "Don't you dare argue with me, sweetie… You will not win." She said triumphantly as she walked across the office and to the door. "Get some food, get some sleep, hug that baby girl of yours… and we'll do lunch soon."

"Bye, Angela." Temperance said with a slight smile and a sigh.

"Bye, Bren." Angela said, flittering out of the office quickly, leaving her friend with her thoughts, her fears, her pain, and that large brown envelope that beckoned her from her desktop.


	9. The Boy in The Tape

**Update 9- The Boy in the Tape**

Temperance ran her hands over the front of the folder, glancing at the name on it one more time before she carefully slid the contents out onto her desk. She looked up at the doorway, ensuring that no one was watching her, though she wasn't exactly sure why she was keeping this moment to herself. The name on the file was not familiar, but the look in Harding's eyes forced her into knowing that the contents of the folder was important. One of the objects in the folder was a VHS tape, labeled with the dates 'April 5, 1982 & June 23, 2003'. She obviously didn't know the significance of the dates, so she carefully piled the file into her lap and made her way over toward the television in the corner of her office. She slowly slid the video into the player, listening to the clacking of the tape as it settled within the machine. She walked to her desk and grabbed her chair, rolling it slowly over toward the television as it began to flicker.

After a moment or two, with some light crackling, the picture of a little boy appeared on the screen. He was very young, his brown hair neatly combed, his brown eyes unfocused and frightened as he played with his fingers on the table in front of him. The tape was older, and the screen flickered a bit, but the sound of shifting could be heard in the room around the boy, and the sound of someone sitting nearby could be heard.

_"Christopher?" A man's voice said softly, the little boy's eyes flickered up to the sound of the man's voice, and his eyes flashed to the camera. _

Temperance gasped when she immediately recognized the boy, grabbing the remote control, she paused the television as she quickly unfolded the folder in front of her, her hands moving quickly over the pictures and papers that were in the folder. Many of the papers were yellowed with age, and some looked fairly new, and as she flipped through the papers, she saw the name 'Christopher' multiple times, and she gasped when she saw the murder scene. Blood was spattered on the walls and floor, and a body lay lifeless on the floor. She quickly flipped to the more recent material and immediately recognized the handwriting. In a long flowing string with the pen, the words flowed on the paper, and she was caught off guard by the words in the report.

It was Booth's handwriting, fluid and clear as ever, and she was startled by what the report was bringing forth. She looked up at the screen where the video was paused, the boy's eyes looking directly into the camera, his fear palpable. She pushed the 'play' button once again.

_"Christopher?" The man's voice said again, nearly coddling to the little boy. "Christopher, look at me, please." The man said._

_"I want my mommy." The little boy whispered toward his hands, his lower lip sticking out, tears in his eyes._

_"Christopher, your mommy is gone, and we need you to tell us what happened."_

_"I dunno." He mumbled._

_"Christopher."_

_"Mommy was hurt." He whispered._

_"She was hurt, yes." The man replied, the video crackling slightly as Christopher looked back up at the camera. "Do you know who hurt your mommy?"_

_"A man."_

_"Did you see the man, Christopher?"_

_"I dunno."_

Temperance paused the video, her eyes focused on the little boy on the screen. He was so frightened, so scared, so broken. The hurt and pain in his eyes was so familiar. She thought of hitting the button again, but knew that it would be too much to watch the agony in his face, and the realization that his mother would never be coming for him. She knew what had happened to the mother, she had heard his story.

The fear in the little boy's eyes was so similar to the fear in her daughter's eyes, and this thought made her stomach twist in uncomfortable knots. He had gone through so much pain and confusion, so much turmoil. He had seen more as a little boy than any person should ever have to see in their entire life. She couldn't bear to sit through soft, whispering voice of the little boy, especially when she knew full well who he was. So she pressed the fast forward button, skimming quickly through flickering video of the little boy and his interviewer. At one point, Temperance nearly broke down crying, especially when she watched the tears roll down the little boy's face. As soon as she was going to turn the tape off, she accidentally hit the 'play' button, and in her search for the 'stop' button, she was startled by a familiar voice was heard over the television.

_"Hey… cut it out…" Booth's voice echoed through the room, and she looked up at the television to see a chair on the screen, and his voice again. "Ace, stop being such an idiot… just sit down."_

_There was no mistake that it was Booth's voice, young and full of life._

_"Deuce, I don't want to do this."_

_"It's for evidence, so sit your ass down in the chair, will ya?"_

_"Evidence, seriously? You just want me to do this so I'll watch the tape and be reminded that this crap is behind me."_

_"It is behind you, now sit in the chair."_

_On the tape there was just a chair and the voices at first, and after a couple minutes, Harding appeared on the screen. He was young, late twenties in the tape, his hair cut short, gelled wildly on his head, he looked like a kid. He had that cocky half grin on his face, a humored look in his eye as he shook his head._

_"What do you want me to say?"_

_"Tell the folks listening what happened this week." Booth laughed._

_"Deuce, I swear to God, you're a moron. This is so stupid."_

_"Listen kid, its evidence, its history… it's for your own peace of mind. Tell everyone what happened."_

_Harding straightened out, staring at the camera for a moment, his eyes were warm and inviting, and it was almost as if he were staring directly at the person watching._

_"This week, my partner and I… Come here, Deuce."_

_"No. I hate how I look on camera."_

_"You're doing this, if you're making me do this, you're doing this." He said, standing up, he approached the camera._

_"Ace, touch me and I'm going to shoot you." Booth laughed as suddenly, Harding reappeared, and this time with another person._

Temperance couldn't help but smile at the young, happy man on the video. His smile was as radiant as she had ever remembered, and she knew that this video had been made a year or two before she and him had first worked together. She sat and waited for their announcement.

_"Today… my partner and I… Deuce here… Agent Seeley Booth…"_

_"Special… agent…"_

_"Right, the promotion… shut up, show off." Harding said with a laugh. "Special Agent Seeley Booth and I… caught my mother's killer." He grinned at the camera, as Booth escaped his grasp for a second and returned with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. He quickly poured scotch into each of the glasses and held his glass up as he handed the other to Harding. "To justice!"_

_"To Justice!" Booth exclaimed, clinking his glass together, as the two of them drank their liquor at the same time._

The tape continued, and the two men continued to talk on camera to one another and anyone who was listening. Temperance kept her eyes on the screen, the words that the two men were speaking were unimportant, but the meaning of this newfound evidence was overwhelming. Booth had captured Harding's father. Booth had found the killer of this man's mother. It explained so much, and yet she had so many questions in her mind, that she suddenly felt overwhelmed.

"He left for D.C. that fall." Harding's voice floated from the doorway of Temperance's office. She jumped suddenly and pushed the stop button on the tape, turning around to face the man who was leaning against the door frame. The look on her face was one of surprise, and he watched the blush creep up into her cheeks, though very subtle, it was there. She quickly straightened and moved eye contact from him. "The name on the file took you by surprise, I know... I took my adoptive parent's last name... the ones that raised me."

"I had no idea." She whispered.

"Of course you didn't." He said with a friendly chuckle, still standing in the doorway. "My file has been sealed by the bureau. Not because I did anything wrong, mind you… but because I have been a part of a lot of classified undercover missions." He said softly.

"Knowing your track record, Agent Harding… I would have been more inclined to say that it was the former, and not the latter. However, I think it's quite obvious to me now why you put your blind faith into Booth."

"Why not, you always have." He said pointedly, her cold, icy stare now on him.

"It was never about faith, Agent Harding. Booth is a man of honor… he always does what is right, he never takes shortcuts…"

"And he bears the scars to prove it." Harding said as he stepped forward toward the screen. "Do you see what I mean when I say he's a good man?"

"I never doubted that he was a good man, Christopher. What I… am feeling right now is not doubt, what I'm feeling is betrayal, and hurt… and extreme confusion." She said, before closing her mouth. She knew she was saying too much, but the man before her was giving her a look that was so intense, and so serious, that she couldn't help but reveal her inner thoughts. He was a good man too, and both he and Booth were willing to lay their lives on the line for her, and one another. "What I don't understand, Agent Harding… is why you have taken on the persona of Booth… why do you think it's your job to protect me, protect those he cares about. You will not gain anything from this."

"I do gain something, Temperance." He said, glancing to the television, he reached down and pressed the 'play' button, watching the two of them on the screen he looked back to Temperance. "This man saved my life not only physically, but spiritually. He and I worked through our gambling addiction… I was there when his son was born… I was his partner, but I was also his friend… and because he gave me back my life… I owe him mine. I gain his respect, and I gain a sense of self worth… and now that he's back…"

"He's in prison."

"He won't be in there for long." Harding replied, clearing his throat. "You'll get him out."

"How will I get him out?" She asked, almost irritated with his assumption.

"Because you have the courage to do that. You don't like him being in that prison any more than I do. You want to talk to him without the knowledge that there is a guard standing over his shoulder. You want to know the truth, and so do I. You have connections, Temperance. You have connections like no one else that is involved does. You're a world famous forensic anthropologist for God's sake! You're an author… you have so many people's ear… if you just use the media to your advantage… use your connections to your advantage… Booth will not be in that prison for very long." Harding replied.

"You want me to pull strings."

"Yes."

"I am not a string puller, Agent Harding."

"That's bullshit, Temperance." He said outright, watching her jaw drop. "That's just a load of bullshit and you know it. You know people in all walks of life that would be able to help you in this. You work with prosecutors and defense attorneys on a daily basis. You know shrinks that can determine whether or not he's fit to be released… you have the media on your side! The media would love a good story about an FBI agent who has been wronged by his own agency… a man who has been ripped from his family and forced to choose between his family and his own freedom. You have the power, Temperance!"

"Are you suggesting that I exploit my child's kidnapping?"

"I'm suggesting that you make an effort to get the man you love, out of prison. He was gone for three years… three years he's been on the run, and you want him to stay in prison… he saved your daughter's life, Temperance. He took the abuse that they were doling out, he shielded your daughter from pain! He stood in front of a gun for you, unarmed… with broken ribs and bruised internal organs… despite the pain, he stood there and tried to force that man into shooting him, so that I could save your life, and you want him to stay in prison?"

"At least I will know where he is." She whispered softly, knowing it was the wrong words, but knowing her heart that she was irrationally thinking just that sentence.

"Don't make him suffer for your own gain, Temperance." He growled, knowing full well that she didn't' mean anything from her words, but irritated nonetheless. "He's not going to get through this alone."

"He isn't alone." She said, watching Harding carefully. "He is not alone, Christopher. But, I do have my own life that I have to think about, I have my daughter's welfare to deal with and protect. I have my own worries and my own thoughts of which you don't know the first thing about. You may be best friends with Booth, Christopher, but you and I… you and I are strangers, and you have no right to walk into my office and demand that I use my resources, and my connections to

"Temperance, I'm just here on his behalf."

"I don't need your help on this." She said, walking around her desk, she eyed him carefully.

"I think that you do, and I am more than willing to help you in any way I can." He said, walking around the other side of the desk, trying to remain directly across from her, trying to keep her focused on him.

"I don't need your help, Harding. I have this taken care of, okay?" She said, slamming her hand on the desk, she growled at him.

"Temperance, please." He said, watching the pleading look in her eyes, hidden behind the glare and the room became silent for a moment. "Please let me help." They stared at one another for a long couple of moments, their eyes daring the other to say something.

"You…" Temperance finally started as she gritted her teeth. "You are very pushy."

"You don't get what you want by being a pushover, Doc."

"Stop calling me Doc." She replied, turning toward her chair, she sat down in it and glared across the room at the agent for several moments.

"Are you going to use your powers of influence?" He whispered.

"Let me think on it, Harding." She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. After a moment, they were interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door, and Temperance looked up to see her father standing expectantly in the doorway looking between the two of them.

"I'm sorry that we're early." Max said, though his tone was very unapologetic. He eyed Harding carefully and stepped into the room with Antonia holding his hand. Her head was down, and she hadn't looked at anyone, so she didn't even know Harding was standing there.

"It's okay, Dad." She said, leaning to the television, she ejected the video tape. "Christopher was just leaving." She said, handing the tape toward him.

"You keep that tape… look over the file." Harding nodded. "There's more in there you'll be interested in reading."

Temperance nodded, and looked at her daughter, who had suddenly looked up at Harding, as soon as she heard his voice. "Antonia, say hello to Christopher." She said, hoping that there would be some inkling of recognition. The little girl's eyes had darkened when she saw him, but she held no fear in her eyes.

"Hey princess." Harding said as he crouched down, watching her hold her grandfather's hand, Max eyed her for a second. "I have something for you." He said as he reached into his pocket, both adults watched carefully as he pulled out a long chain, the Saint Anthony medal dangling from the end. "Deuce asked me to bring this to you." He whispered, sure he heard a gasp from Temperance behind him, Max watched the exchange carefully.

Antonia's eyes widened, the medal dangling in his hand was shining in her eyes, and she didn't know what to do. "Go on, Ant… Christopher is giving you a gift."

Antonia swallowed hard, stepping forward, her hand reached out for the necklace as he unclasped it. "I'll put it on you, sweetheart." He said, watching her nod as she stepped up to him, her eyes directly on Harding's as she stood in front of him. "You know." He whispered, quietly enough for only Antonia to hear. "I can see you." He whispered. "You're not invisible to me." He paused for a moment and watched her eyes lighten. "Okay?" he said, watching the little girl nod. "If you need to talk to someone… and you're scared, I'll be there in a second for you, sweetheart." She nodded again. "There…" he said louder as he finished clasping it. "Perfect." He said, standing up, he glanced to Temperance. "It was on him at the hospital." He explained to her, watching her nod. "He also asked me to give this to you." He said, handing her a small safety deposit box key. "He said that when you're ready, to open the box. The bank's address is on the key." He whispered as Temperance took the key with a curious expression. "I should… probably be going." He said as he stepped toward Max and offered his hand. "Mr. Keenan, it was nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you again, Christopher." He nodded, and shook his hand as he watched the man step toward the door.

"Temperance." He said, shaking the woman's attentions back to him, he looked her directly in the eyes. "Call me when you've come to a decision." He said, watching her nod slightly to him, he flashed her a charming smile, and slipped quickly out the door.


	10. Going For A Ride

**Update 10- Going for a Ride**

Temperance lay on her side in the bed of her father's guest bedroom. Antonia was pushed against her mother's back, her hands gripping the back of her t-shirt tightly as she slept somewhat soundly, but ever quietly. She stared out at the wall across from her, the voices of all of the things she had heard in the past twenty four hours bouncing through her mind haphazardly. In her ever scientific mind, she began to organize the thoughts and compartmentalize accordingly.

Doctor Wilson had been less than helpful, though he made her realize that the issue with Antonia was certainly deeper than what a therapist could provide. There were far too many details that she didn't want to reveal, and far too many issues that were associated with the truth of the situation that he just wouldn't have understood, and she wouldn't have been able to explain. Which of course brought her to Angela, who had insisted that none other than Doctor Lance Sweets could be the key to unlock the thoughts buried deep within her daughter's psyche. And while his knowledge of both Booth and Brennan and their partnership was vast, he had no idea the turmoil that they had been through in the past four years, and the knowledge of the daughter that they genetically shared would be enough to make the man's head explode. Not literally, of course.

Then there was Harding… Ace… former partner and current… colleague? Friend? She wasn't quite sure where to categorize him, but he was a very pushy man, a very cocky man, a man who reminded her of someone she once knew and loved… more every day.

She sighed and closed her eyes tightly, trying so hard to wipe that image of Booth from her mind, the feel of his dry, soft lips against hers, the sound of his voice, the feel of his hand in hers. Her throat was beginning to constrict slightly as she felt a soft sob working its way up into her throat. She tried to control it, but before she had a chance to even realize it was coming, she began to cry. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she gripped the blanket that was covering her in her hands. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to remain quiet, when she felt her daughter shifting in the bed, her hands becoming detached from her mother's shirt, Temperance felt the tiny fingers running through her hair.

"Hush, Mama…" She whispered tenderly. "Hush…" She said, pressing her face into her mother's hair, she began to hum a soft lullaby as she tried to ward away the sad thoughts that were making her mother cry. She allowed her daughter to comfort her, contemplating turning around, she chose instead to enjoy the sound of the little girl's voice as she battled with the jumbled thoughts in her mind as they knotted tightly together, with no end in sight.

----------

Once the morning came, Temperance woke to realize that she was now alone in her bed. She rolled to her other side, and sat up, noticing the two tiny feet, and the little body connected to it curled beneath the window. "Oh, Antonia…" She whispered as she stood up and walked around the bed. She crouched down and lifted the little girl from the floor, cradling her in her arms as her eyes opened upon her mother. "You have to stop waiting for him, baby." She whispered, watching the tender brown eyes of her little girl looking up at her pitifully. "He'd come if he could." She whispered. "I know he would." She said softly as she carefully put the little girl back into the bed, tucking the blankets up tenderly near her chin, she glanced to the clock and noted the early hour. "I'm going to go and make your favorite breakfast… when it's done, I'll come back and get you." She whispered, leaning down to kiss the little girl's nose tenderly. "I love you, Princess."

Temperance turned and walked out of the room slowly. She walked down the hallway toward the kitchen, and Max stepped out just as she was going in. "Oh… I didn't know you were awake." She said giving him a tight lipped smile as she stepped past him toward the refrigerator. "I'm going to make Antonia some French toast."

"Oh, she'll like that." Max said with a smile as he lingered in the doorway. "Are you going to go to the bank today and check out that safe deposit box?"

"No." She said as she began to prepare for making breakfast.

"Why not?"

"Because he said I should open it when I'm ready." She said, slamming the frying pan down on the stove, she looked back at her father. "And I am clearly not ready."

"Tempe, you're letting your emotions get the best of you."

"No." She shook her head and looked up at her father as she began looking for a spatula in the drawer. "No, I'm not letting anything get the best of me, I've already let too much get the best of me, and I am not about to let anything through anymore." She shook her head. "Nothing."

"So you're just going to close yourself off?"

"Dad, do you have any idea how hard this is for me?" She asked, pulling the spatula from the drawer, she slammed it down on the counter. "Do you really have any clue what I'm going through here? I don't need your advice, and I don't need your nagging, and I don't need…" She said as she glanced to the doorway and noticed her daughter standing just behind Max. "Antonia?" She said, watching the fear in the little girl's face as she watched her mother smack the counter with the spatula, the sound making a loud popping noise like gunfire. "Antonia." She said, stepping toward her daughter, and as soon as her foot hit the ground, the little girl ran as quickly as she could in the opposite direction. "Antonia, please come back here!" Temperance exclaimed as she made it to the bathroom just as the door slammed in her face, and the lock was pushed in. Temperance slammed her body into the door hard, though it didn't budge, she looked up to see her father standing several feet away, a look of sympathy passing over his features. "Get me my cell phone, please." She whispered.

Max stepped over to the table beside the couch and grabbed Temperance's phone, he tossed it across the room to her and she began to dial buttons. She listened on the line as she wiggled the doorknob. She looked to her father and stared into his eyes as she spoke into the line. "You want to pull strings, we do it my way…" She paused. "Be at my place in twenty minutes… we're going for a ride." She said, hanging up the phone, she tossed it to her father. "Thank you." She said, reaching up above the door, she pulled a key from its hiding place, she shoved it into the lock and opened the door, disappearing behind it before Max could say another word.

--------------

As soon as Harding pulled up to the curb, he saw Temperance walking out of the building. He pulled up to the curb and she immediately opened the door and climbed inside. "Hey, Doc."

"What did I tell you about that nickname?" She grumbled.

"You said you like it, and you wish everyone else would use it." He said with a grin that only widened with the sideways glare that was pointed in his direction. "Okay, where to?" He asked, watching her pull her seatbelt securely around her.

"Take a right up here…" She said, pointing ahead as she adjusted her bag on her lap.

"Doc, you didn't say where we're going."

"That is correct, Agent Harding." She nodded as she pointed. "Three more blocks, then a left." She said, watching him drive, she sighed. "I should have driven."

"I think I'm doing very well on my own. I'm not a dangerous driver."

"No, you drive like an elderly person." She said, glaring at the agent. He shook his head with that half grin of his, and she settled in her seat and gave him the remainder of the directions.

They pulled up in front of a small house in a residential neighborhood, and Temperance checked her phone to ensure she had the correct address. Nodding, she opened the door as soon as Harding stopped the car. "Temperance, where are we?"

"We're at step one, Harding. Are you coming with me, or are you staying in the car?" She asked, closing the door to the car without waiting for an answer. She walked quickly toward the front of the house, and after a moment, she heard the rushing steps of Harding behind her.

"Temperance, it's not even six in the morning, who are we going to see?" He asked as she quickly stepped up the steps with him behind her, she knocked hard on the door three times and waited. "Federal prosecutor? A judge?"

"Psychologist." She said, turning to look at Harding with a long look. "This is Doctor Sweets' house."

"Temperance!" Harding exclaimed as Temperance knocked firmly again. "Doctor Sweets doesn't work for the bureau anymore, he doesn't even know that Booth is alive, how is he going to help us get Booth out of prison?"

"Because someone has to get my daughter talking, Agent Harding. I need help, and Sweets knows me, he knows Booth, he knows who we were before. You said you wanted to help, so shut up and… " She said as the door opened, surprisingly though, it wasn't Sweets standing at the door, but Daisy Wick, one of Doctor Brennan's former assistants. Before Temperance could say anything, Daisy had swung the door open.

"Doctor Brennan!" She exclaimed, a grin on her face as she immediately embraced the doctor tightly, Temperance was caught by surprise, and didn't return the hug, though Daisy didn't miss a beat.

"I'm sorry if we woke you." Temperance said in a near monotone tone, it did not sound sincere, but again, Daisy hadn't even noticed.

"Oh! Oh no! I was just about to leave for work… when you cleaned house at the Jeffersonian and wrote all of those really nice letters of recommendations… I got a cushy little job over at the University!"

"I didn't…do…" Temperance started to say, feeling the jab of Harding's elbow in her side, she glared at him.

"Lance is in the kitchen getting ready to go too, and… Oh… who is this handsome man…" She blabbed on, holding her hand out to Harding. "I'm Daisy Wick-Sweets, I am one of Doctor Brennan's protégé's … she said in a 'aren't you impressed' tone. "I was one of her best students… and you are…?"

"Actually…" Temperance said.

"Christopher Harding. Doctor Brennan's partner."

"Oh! Your partner… how great, see, I always knew you'd be smart enough to not get married, Doctor Brennan… the old ball and chain and…"

"Daisy?" Temperance started to say.

"Lance and I got married after I started working at the university, and now we have a little boy, and we're so happy living out here in the burbs, though I would so much prefer living in the…"

"Daisy…" Temperance said a little stronger, her eyes darting out at Daisy almost angrily, the girl's mouth closed quickly.

"City…" She whispered.

"Sweetheart?" A man's voice came from within the house, and after a second, he was in view of the doorway, walking down the hallway holding a baby in his arms. "Who is at the…" He stopped as soon as he saw Temperance, his eyes widening. "Woah… Doctor Brennan?" He said, approaching her quickly, he shifted the baby in his arms and grinned as he approached.

"Doctor Sweets." Temperance said, very calm, very professional, she reached her hand out for his, but before she knew it, he was hugging her.

"Wow…" He said, pulling from the hug, looking at her for a moment. "Really… just wow… what are you doing here? I mean… not… what are you doing here because it…"

"You mean what is she doing here at five thirty in the morning on a Wednesday." Harding said, holding his hand out. "Special Agent Christopher Harding… The Doc and I work together."

"We're not married." Temperance threw in for clarification.

"Well come on in… we were just getting ready to go to work… feeding our little guy here…" Sweets said, referring to the baby.

"We won't… bother you too long." Temperance said, following Sweets and Daisy down the hallway toward the kitchen, Harding following after her. "We just… I just…"

"Well, it must be pretty important if you're showing up this early in the morning, Doctor Brennan." Sweets said as he placed the baby in the high chair beside the table.

"Lance…" Daisy said as she stepped to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. "I have to get to work… sorry to just abandon you here like this…" She said overly apologetically. "Maybe we can get together sometime! We can have a family trivia night, or something like that… maybe a barbeque!"

"I don't eat meat…" Temperance mumbled as she watched Daisy lean down and kiss the baby.

"Oh, that's okay… we'll figure something out." Daisy said as she stepped toward Temperance. "It was so nice to see you again!" She said, grabbing Temperance in a hug before turning to grab her bag. "And Christopher, it was very nice to meet you." She said, smiling as he nodded, she headed for the door and in a moment, the house was quiet once more but for the sound of Sweets preparing the baby's oatmeal.

An awkward silence seemed to fill the room, and Harding cleared his throat to try to convince Temperance silently to begin explaining why they had turned up at the psychologist's door so early in the morning.

"Doctor Brennan?" Sweets said as he looked up at the concerned look on her face, he was surprised by how serious she looked standing there, staring into space for a moment before his voice shook her into reality. She looked him in the eye and opened her mouth for a moment, but no words came out, which sent Harding into rescue mode.

"Doc here is having some issues relating to…"

"A case." Temperance interrupted, giving Harding a grateful smile. "It's a case… that we were working on."

"Well, as you know." Sweets said as he scooped a little oatmeal onto a spoon for his son. "I don't work for the FBI anymore."

"And technically, neither does Agent Harding." Temperance said.

"Hey…" Harding said, her glare shooting from the corner of her eye. "What Doc means, is that… this case was very personal to her, and she thought that if anyone would be able to help her to work through the issues involved in it, it would be you."

"And what makes you think that I would be of any help?" Sweets asked, his attention on his son as he fed the boy slowly with the spoon.

"It involves Booth." She said, watching Sweets as he scooped a little more oatmeal onto the spoon.

"Agent Booth died over four years ago, Doctor Brennan. He was a good man who died too young and gave his life for a country that did nothing for him in return." Sweets said coldly, carefully scooping the oatmeal into his son's mouth.

"He isn't dead, Doctor Sweets." Temperance replied, watching the man's head twist quickly, and the spoon drop into the bowl of oatmeal, Sweets stood up and faced his two visitors.

"What do you mean he isn't dead?"

"He was in hiding." Harding explained, noting that Temperance was having difficulty explaining, she looked like she was ready to break, though she was very obviously keeping her wits about her. "Several weeks ago, there was a news story… do you remember? A child was taken… I'm sure they described her on the news, but they didn't give much other information."

"A little girl… it was on the news. But they found her."

"They did." Harding nodded.

"She is our daughter." Temperance replied, placing a picture of Antonia on the table, Sweets eyes widened.

"Whoa…" He said, looking at the picture. "Your daughter?" He whispered, referring to Harding and Temperance.

"No, Doctor Sweets… My daughter… and Booth's daughter." She said sternly watching Sweets swallow hard.

"Whoa… whoa… I… I have to sit down. How is? How did you? She's…" Sweets sat down, looking between the picture and Temperance.

"Her genealogy is not the issue here." She said sternly. "Booth was in hiding, and there were men hunting him. He found out about Antonia and… began visiting her without my knowledge. The men that were hunting him learned of her and that was why she was kidnapped."

"And Booth?"

"He rescued her… he risked his life to save her, to save me… and now he's in a minimum security prison in Maryland."

"Prison?"

"For various charges… it's not important."

"I think the fact that he's in prison is very important." Sweets said, suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bowl slamming onto the floor. He turned and watched his son grinning at him from his high chair, the spoon in his hand, and oatmeal spread all over his face, the oatmeal bowl now on the floor . "Oh God, Brendan…" He muttered as he bent down to clean up the baby's mess. He stood up and walked toward the cupboard. "And what do you think you need my help with, Doctor Brennan?"

"I need… I mean… my…"

"Her daughter refuses to speak, Doctor Sweets. Booth is in prison, and Doctor Brennan is afraid to forge a relationship with him if he's just going to end up leaving."

"Christopher." She stated strongly.

"No, Doc… it has to be said. She trusts that your insights would be in the best interest of herself, her daughter and Booth. You know her, you know Booth, and she…"

"I trust you, Sweets." She said strongly, her eyes on his, so intense and certain.

"Well…" Sweets said as he walked over to the bowl on the floor, he lifted it up and looked to Temperance. "You say that your daughter…"

"Antonia."

"You say that Antonia has bonded with Booth."

"Yes, without me knowing, he would visit her. She doesn't know that he's her father though."

"And has she seen him since this… incident?"

"No." Temperance whispered. "She's not… well. She's not ready to…"

"Doctor Brennan." He said, standing up with the washcloth in his hand from cleaning the mess his son had made. "Keeping her from him is only going to damage your relationship with him, and it is most likely not going to help your relationship with your daughter either. If he was the one that saved her from a dangerous situation, then he is most likely the one that she is looking for in order to stave her constant fears now. There is some underlying reason why she won't speak to you, and you're not going to be able to work on that until you are able to communicate with Booth."

"I can't talk to him right now."

"Then don't expect your daughter to heal properly until you can." He said, watching a sense of fear in her eyes. He immediately felt bad. "Listen… if you want me to talk to her, I have an opening this afternoon. Bring her to my office, and I'll talk with her… but if she's not talking to her own mother, there is no way that she's going to talk to a stranger."

"Thank you, Sweets." Temperance whispered, taking a step backwards. "We will be there at…"

"Three o'clock should be fine." He nodded, following them down the hallway

"Thank you." She said, her voice sounding very grateful as she started for the door. "Really, thank you so much." She whispered as she hurried out the door.

Harding stepped up to the psychologist and held out his hand. "Thank you for doing this for her, Doctor Sweets." He said, nodding his approval to the doctor. "She trusts you."

"I know." Sweets replied, beginning to look a little nervous. "And that kind of scares me."

Harding gave him a knowing smile and turned, walking out of the house behind Temperance. Sweets watched them for a minute more, the man getting into the driver's seat, and Temperance getting into the passenger seat, and he sighed. He turned and pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing his office, he waited. "Yeah, Stacie, can you cancel all of my appointments tomorrow. I'm going to have to go to Maryland… and at my three o'clock, put down 'Doctor Temperance Brennan'." He said softly into the line. "Thanks." He said as he stepped up to his son's high chair, where the little boy was slamming the spoon down on the tray. "Hey there, little man… let's get you to daycare so daddy can go to work!" He said in an overly sweet voice, only to be the victim when the spoon in the little boy's hand flew out and slammed full of oatmeal onto his father's tie.


	11. Sweet Disposition

**Update 11- Sweet Disposition**

When Temperance pulled up to the office building that Sweets was practicing out of, she glanced into her rear view mirror to see Antonia sitting quietly in her seat. Her eyes still had that distant, faraway look that they had recently, and her hands were clutching her two favorite toys tightly in her grip. "Toni." Temperance said, knowing that the name would get her attention. The little girl's brown eyes snapped to her mother's in the mirror. "We're here."

The little girl just stared at her mother blankly, and waited for her to exit the car. Temperance climbed from her own seat and opened Antonia's door. She reached over and unlatched the little girl, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Doctor Sweets is a very nice man." She said softly as she tried to soothe any worries that she might have. "He is a very good friend of mommy's." She said, sighing. "Mommy should have brought you here in the first place, but mommy is a stubborn lady." She admitted as she walked up the path toward the front doors. She walked through the doors and Antonia held her mother tightly, her head buried in her mother's shoulder as she turned a corner and walked through another doorway.

She approached a desk slowly, and glanced at her watch, noting that it was two minutes before three, she took a slow deep breath. "Doctor Brennan?" The woman behind the counter smiled, tipping her head politely, Temperance must have looked surprised, for the woman just smiled and wrote something in her notebook. "Doctor Sweets is expecting you. I'll let him know you're here."

"Thank you." She said, pleased with the immediate service, and relaxed at the recognition of her name, and obvious quick response and care that the secretary was putting in for Dr. Sweets' patients. It was another moment, and the door opened beside them, Temperance turned to see Sweets smiling from the doorway.

"Hey, Doctor Brennan…" He said with a smile, noting the frightened child resting on her mother's shoulder. "And this must be Antonia." He said, careful not to approach them too quickly, he poked his head behind Temperance to see if the little girl would look at him, and when she hid her face once again, he just smiled and nodded. "Well, come on in… we can talk in the office." He said politely.

Temperance noted that Sweets had changed his tie since that morning, a minute detail, but it was one that she had noticed. She walked quietly into the office behind him and smiled politely when he ushered them toward a couch that was situated across from a large black chair. "Now, I don't usually speak with children for my sessions, so I may be a little rusty in this."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." She whispered in a soft tone. Antonia could tell her mother was much more relaxed in this atmosphere, she seemed anxious, but in a different way, it was more uncertainty and less annoyance, which immediately put the little girl at ease.

"We can begin by talking to you, if you'd like, Doctor Brennan, and if Antonia would like to say something, she may… or we have some crayons and paper over there in the corner if she'd rather just color, or draw a picture." Sweets said softly.

"I prefer that she sit with us, actually. The um… last session with a psychologist didn't go so well… projectiles and such." She said, watching Sweets' eyes widen as he nodded.

"Totally understandable." He said, giving Temperance a smile. "I'm assuming you're still at the Jeffersonian."

"Yes… though only recently did I go out into the field for a case. After… Agent Booth's… incident... I..."

"I understand." He nodded. "You know that was the reason that I decided to branch out on my own. I thought that the FBI had treated you with great disrespect, treated his friends and family, and his death dishonorably. I couldn't be a part of that any longer."

"I appreciated your loyalty, Sweets." She whispered, dropping the formal moniker surprisingly, she felt a bit more comfortable suddenly. "I hope Daisy didn't think that we…"

"No, no… she totally understood what was going on, you know? She was actually happy to get the University position, she has a little more free time, and we had gotten married… small ceremony since we both don't have much family… and then Brendan was born." Sweets nodded.

"He is a handsome little boy." She said softly, feeling Antonia's grip loosening as she slid into her mother's lap and glanced cautiously at Sweets.

"Thank you." He said, watching Antonia for a moment. "Hey… Antonia." Sweets smiled. "My name is Lance…" He said softly, watching the little girl cuddle her toys close to her, he was taken aback by the little girl's striking features, the depths of her brown eyes, and the likeness that she had to Booth. The shape of her eyes was definitely her mother's, but that color, and the glint within them, that was one hundred percent her father's. "I'm a pretty good friend of your mom's… and your…"

"Deuce." Temperance interrupted. "She knows him as Deuce."

"Deuce?"

"It was a nickname given to him when he was partnered with Agent Harding, before he and I met."

"Wait… so Booth knows Harding too?"

"They were partners." She sighed.

"So… Deuce…" Sweets said, nodding toward Antonia. "Deuce… and your mommy worked together, did you know that, Antonia?" He said softly. "That's how they became my friend… they were really good partners." He said, watching the little girl's eyes focus on his, he smiled, seeing that she was listening. "Probably the best partners that I've ever worked with."

"Sweets, our partnership was not quantifiable."

"Of course it was, Doctor Brennan. You and Booth had a fantastic solve rate. You two rarely ever took time off, and you had a way of communicating which was beyond anything I have ever seen before. You both may have driven me crazy on occasion with your bickering, or your banter… but you were made for one another, there is no doubt in my mind." He said, stopping himself as Temperance stared at him for a moment. "Here." He said, standing up. He walked over to his desk and rifled through several files. He pulled out a fairly thick file and tossed it onto his desk.

"What is that?"

"This is your and Agent Booth's case file from the FBI." He said, watching her carefully. "I did a lot of research on you two."

"That information is FBI property, Sweets. You can't just take someone's confidential file and bring it with you." She argued, her eyes on the thick folder on the desk, its contents spilling out slightly. She stared at it for a moment. "What do you have in there?"

"I have proof that you and Agent Booth were in love long before his accident. I have proof that you were moving closer to some kind of consummation, and… how old is Antonia?"

"She's three, but that is neither here nor there, Doctor Sweets." Temperance said, becoming quite defensive at his accusation.

"So she was born…"

"Over a year after Booth… disappeared, yes… You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how that happened… I'm here about Antonia, Sweets. I am not here about Booth and I."

"Antonia…" Sweets said as he reached into the file and pulled out a newspaper article, covered in laminate. On the article there was a picture of Booth and Brennan, standing beside one another talking to another person. Booth was standing very close to her, his hand protectively on the small of her back, smiling at the close of another case. "See that…" He said, looking at the little girl, who was watching him, and not the paper. "See, that's your mommy and… Deuce…" He said, awkwardly. "They were a great team… best bad guy catchers ever." He said with a smile as the little girl slowly reached her hand out and tugged at the clipping. She stared at the picture as she held it in her hands. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"Sweets, what does this have to do with anything?"

"I'm trying to develop a bond of trust, Doctor Brennan. You value the importance of trust, and right now, Antonia here is having some major trust issues."

"Are you suggesting that my daughter doesn't trust me?" She asked, her voice clear and quite frustrated.

"No, I'm saying that you don't trust yourself." He stated clearly. "You don't trust yourself to make decisions regarding the fact that Booth is in fact, not dead… but very much alive… and sitting in prison, no doubt wondering why you're not there attempting to get him out of there."

"It isn't my responsibility." She whispered.

"No, no… you're right." Sweets said, clearly irritated with her reply. "It isn't your responsibility to get him out of prison. It's not your responsibility to care for him, or visit him… or take his… take Antonia to see him. It's not your responsibility, but it is your decision. It's your decision of whether or not you want him to be part of your life or not, and clearly… whether you like it or not, he has become part of your life, and has continued to be part of your life. You love him, Doctor Brennan. You love him so much, but you're scared, you're terrified that he won't share that love with you. You're terrified that he isn't going to be the same person, that he's going to have changed, that he will be bitter and angry. Well, the longer he stays in that prison… minimum security or not, he's going to have doubts, regrets… the longer he stays there, the more disdain he will have for you, the more anger he will have in his heart because you have deserted him, even when he risked his life for you, for your daughter. You at least owe him the opportunity to continue his need to fix what has happened with Antonia." Sweets replied.

"He gave me a safety deposit box key." She whispered. "He… was leaving the hospital, and he had Harding bring it to me." She said, touched by the words of the psychologist, though she was quite confused over whether or not he was angry with her or not. She pulled the key out of her pocket. "I don't know what it means."

"It means he wants you to open the safety deposit box, Doctor Brennan." Sweets said in a monotone voice, his eyes showing the irritation he was beginning to feel, though he was trying his best to be patient with the woman in front of her daughter.

"No, Sweets. I know what the key does… and I know what he wants… but I don't know what it means!"

"You're not going to know what it means until you open the box, Doctor Brennan."

"But I don't know what is in the box."

"No… and that's why you have to open it to find out what he wants you to find."

"He said that I should open it when I'm ready." She swallowed hard, watching the Doctor looking at her carefully. "I'm not sure that I'm ready."

"Then don't open the box… ever." He said sternly, watching her eyes widen in confusion, as he held his hand out to her. "Just give me the key… and I'll hold it so you won't be tempted."

"No." She whispered, finding that she was not insulted or angry at Sweets for his stern attitude, but confused.

"Doctor Brennan, the man has been gone for over four years. He knows what happened to the memory of him while he was gone, and he is most likely fully aware that you have issues to work out before you speak with him. Whatever is in that box is the first step at making things right between you both. I don't know the details, or why, or how this all came to be. I don't even know what condition Booth is in at this time, but I can tell you right now, if you don't open that box soon, there will be no point in ever opening it. If he didn't think you were ready, he would never have given you that key." Sweets said sternly.

"But Sweets…"

"You can give it to me if you want, Doctor Brennan."

"I should… probably go." She whispered.

"Doctor Brennan, you can't run from this." He said, leaning forward, taking her hand. He was surprised when she didn't pull it back. "You can't run from this, it's not going to go away if you close your eyes. It's not going to go away if you ignore it… and it's not going to go away if you hide behind your daughter's trauma. This is real, Doctor Brennan… it's real… and it's not going to go away… and Antonia here… she's not going to get better if you keep her away from him. He is her protector, that's how she sees it."

"I'm her mother." Temperance tried to say strongly, finding that the words were simply whispered. "I am her mother, I am supposed to be her protector."

"Yes… and she loves you, and trusts you… don't you, Antonia?" Sweets asked the little girl, who was watching her mother carefully, her hands still holding the picture that Sweets had given her. She looked to the doctor. "You trust your mommy, don't you?" He whispered. She nodded her head slowly, her eyes having that unsure look that her mother would get when she wasn't sure she should be answering a question, and she looked back to her mother, reaching her arms out, she wrapped them around her mother's arm, reaching the picture up for her mother to see with her other hand.

Temperance looked down at the photograph, the smiles on their faces were so natural and real, and the warmth in her heart was unreal. She saw the hand that had found it's place on her back, and knew that it had been that way so often, that she missed knowing he was always there, watching her back. "You think I should open the box?" She whispered.

"I think that if you want to continue acting as if he's dead, that you won't. I know that he wouldn't have given you something that you aren't ready for. Maybe you'll find some answers that you're looking for in that box."

"I…"

"You have a very intricate web of influence, Doctor Brennan. You and Booth share something that no two people I have ever met could ever compare to. Things may be different, but by taking this first step, you can at least understand what he's going through, and he's already opening up to you." He said, watching her mind work his words through its gears. "I'd like to… observe Antonia in a closed environment if I might." He said, watching Temperance tip her head in confusion.

"Closed environment?"

"Yes… have her in a room, alone… just some toys, perhaps her own toys as well." He nodded toward the two elephants that the little girl clutched tightly. "Perhaps a social worker… we can observe from the room next door, and watch how she interacts, we can give her some crayons, and maybe see if we can work through some flashcards… find out what's going on behind those beautiful eyes." He said sweetly to the little girl, watching a slight scowl rise up on the little girl's face. He raised his eyebrows, and her scowl turned into an unsure glare.

"And how is that supposed to help us with this?" Temperance asked, softly and without confrontation. "How will it help her speak again... communicate?"

"It will help, you'll see." He nodded. "Let's say… a week from today, I'll get a reservation at the developmental center, and see if we can't get to the bottom of all of this." He said, watching the little girl clutch the picture in her hands. "Antonia, would you like to keep that picture?" He asked, watching her eyes clash with his once more, though a bit of hope slipping into that concerned expression. She nodded slightly, holding the picture close to her.

"Doctor Sweets, if that's part of a file, or…"

"Nonsense, Doctor Brennan. If I hadn't the intention of letting her keep it, I would have never given it to her." He said, smiling at the little girl. "I'll call you with details of the observation… what she should bring, and where to meet."

"Okay." Temperance said, standing up.

"It was nice seeing you again, Doctor Brennan." He said, looking down at Antonia, he smiled, crouching down, he held out his hand. "It was nice to meet you, Antonia." He said, waiting to see if she'd shake his hand, she stared at it blankly for a moment. After a second, he noticed her hand was balled in a tiny fist, and smiled when he remembered Booth's interactions with Parker. He closed his fist slowly and watched her eyes lighten up just a bit, as she reached out quickly, bumped fists with him and slid from the chair to grab her mother's hand. "We'll see you next week, okay?" He said, standing up quickly. He was immediately surprised when Temperance's arms were around him in a surprising hug, and just as quickly, she stepped back, straightening herself out.

"Thank you, Sweets." She whispered, avoiding eye contact, she turned and walked quickly out of the office, tugging Antonia along as the little girl kept her eyes on the psychologist for a second or two longer, as he smiled knowingly as they left the office.


	12. The Calm

**Good Morning, Folks :)**

**We just wanted to say thank you for sticking around for the story, and wanted to give our appreciation for your reviews and thoughts. :) Your encouragement and thoughts are greatly appreciated! **

**Update 12- The Calm**

Temperance drove silently around the city, Antonia sitting peacefully in the back seat, her eyes closed as she drifted off into slumber. Temperance was just glad that she wasn't upset after meeting with Sweets, her interaction with him was actually quite relaxing for her to see, and she was surprised that he had gotten as much out of her as he had. She glanced at the clock on the car's console and noted that it was nearly five in the afternoon. She knew that the bank would close at six, and she was hoping that she'd be able to avoid the nagging feeling in her gut that continually reminded her about that key in her pocket. She stole another glance at the sleeping girl in the back seat, and knew that if she was going to go to the bank, she'd have to do it soon, for then there would be no way she would make it in time. She sighed as she realized that she was pulling up to her father's apartment, and her mind was being constantly interrupted by the dull throbbing of an oncoming migraine.

She sighed in resignation as she pulled into the parking space and turned the car off, staring out of the windshield, she sat for a moment to think. Reaching into her pocket, she felt two objects floating around together, two related, yet completely separate objects that she tried to resist, but ultimately ended up pulling from the warm confines of her pocket. One, the poker chip that she had found the day that she had found Booth. She was supposed to have put it into an evidence bag, turned it over to the FBI, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

The only person that knew she had that poker chip was Booth, he had left it there for her to find, and she had known as she flipped it in her hand that he was in that warehouse. She had known that he wanted her to find him, and that shred of doubt that she held in her stomach was washed away the moment he came out of the darkness and into view. She knew he'd survive, she knew that whatever danger they had found in those next few moments, he'd survive, and he'd be able to smile at her, look her in the eyes and be grateful that she had found that one piece of him. It was like they had just another secret.

The other object was of course that key from the safety deposit box. Shiny and silver, it sparkled in dim summer light, dark clouds moving in quickly gave the entire situation a gloomy feel, and she closed her hand on the key and the chip, closing her eyes tightly for a moment. She was startled at the knock on her window, and her eyes opened wide when she saw her father standing in the street, looking in on her curiously. She opened her door slightly. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad." She said softly, glancing back to Antonia. "I was just… letting her sleep a little…"

"You looked like you were going to cry… I was just coming back from the store." He said, hefting a bag of groceries in his hand, he watched her nod. "Were you coming inside?"

"Actually, could you take her for a couple of hours?" She whispered, her mouth coming to a decision before her mind could stop it. "There's something I have to do." She said, watching Max nod his head as he shifted the groceries in his arms. She climbed from her seat and opened the back door, carefully lifting the little girl from the seat. Clutched in her hand was the paper that Sweets had given her, and of course her two favorite toys. Carefully, she handed the little girl to Max, looking to see if he needed help. "I can go up with you, if you need…"

"No, it's fine." He said, nodding his head. "You go on… I can get the door myself."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure, sweetheart… just go on." He said, nodding toward the car as he held the little girl tenderly in his arms.

"Thank you, Dad." She said softly, watching for a moment as her father walked around the back of the car. She climbed back inside and held her breath as she entered the address from the key into her GPS, and drove toward that destination.

--------------

She pulled up to the bank and watched the janitor inside mopping the floor in the lobby. She took a slow, deep breath and tried to will herself to enter the building, tried to pry herself from her seat. She glanced to the clock and noted that it was nearly five thirty. She reached into the pocket and felt the key in her hand. With a deep breath and her thoughts pushed to the back of her mind, she climbed to the car and made her way into the bank.

She walked up to the teller and stared at the vault for a moment, her hand playing with the key in her pocket. "Can I help you, Ma'am?" The teller said as she forced Temperance's attention onto her. Temperance's eyes met with hers and she wordlessly pulled the key from her pocket, handing it to the woman, who simply nodded as she pulled out a clipboard behind the counter. "Name?"

"Doctor Temperance Brennan." She whispered, watching the woman tap at the keyboard for a couple moments before smiling at Temperance. She handed the woman her driver's license, and after a quick glance, the woman handed the clipboard over.

"Please sign here… and I can escort you to the vault to obtain your box. There is a room just to the left that is secure, where you can look through your valuables." She said, in a bubbly voice, watching Temperance sign her name and nod solemnly. "We close in about a half hour, we'll inform you if you're still here before we lock the doors.

"Thank you." Temperance nodded, following the woman to the vault, they entered a secure room, and she handed Temperance the key, pointing to a row of boxes on the end.

"22705" She said, watching Temperance's eyes meet hers. "That's the box number." She said, nodding again.

"Thank you." Temperance said, stepping forward, she put the key into the lock and carefully pulled the box from its resting place. She turned and walked toward the door that the woman had been holding open, and stepped into the room, where a small chair and table sit, the door buzzing as the teller closed her into the room.

Temperance stepped to the table and placed the metal box down onto its surface. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to convince herself that she should open the box. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes as she thought for a moment that she wasn't ready, that she couldn't do this, but the more she paused, the more positive she was that she did need to do this, and that Sweets was right. If Booth didn't think she could do this, he never would have given her the key. He would have given it to Harding and told him to keep it, to hold onto it until she was ready. Even in his absence, Booth knew her better than anyone, and with that thought, she built her courage level enough to open the box.

At first, all she could see was a small pile of newspaper clippings, but with further investigation, she found that there was much more within the box than she had ever expected to see. Carefully, she pulled the objects out and placed them on the table. There was a small pile of newspaper articles, folded carefully in half, draped over three envelopes, and two other small boxes.

One box was white, approximately five inches long and two inches wide, and the other was about the size of a ring box, covered in a deep blue felt. She carefully lifted the box from the table, pushing it to the corner as she turned the envelopes over in her hand. One of them, in a long, scrolling handwriting was 'Bones'. She recognized the handwriting immediately and glanced to the other, where he had written 'Antonia', delicately and gracefully, and the third was written 'Parker'.

She turned her envelope over in her hand, sliding her finger beneath the flap, pushing her finger about an inch before she stopped. She thought for a moment, just a split second that she couldn't do this, and then closed her eyes and pushed her finger the rest of the way, freeing the glue that held it together. She opened her eyes and took a slow, deep breath before pulling the papers from the envelope.

It appeared that there was more than one letter, from more than one day within the envelope, and she was eager to read the words that he had written, though at the same time, she was terrified. The first letter was marked three months after Booth had 'died', and his handwriting was messy, but obviously not rushed. She was confused by what it meant at first, the words echoing in her mind with the soft voice of Booth narrating.

_---------------_

_Bones,_

_The future, like the sun's rays, is immeasurable. Try as you might to capture them, it's impossible. The future can just as easily be snuffed out, just as quickly and just as unexpectedly as a sudden burst of light and heat from the sun could obliterate us as a human race. Life, like the future, is full of unpredictable things. But we move forward, regardless. We wake up every day and we plan our day, despite the unexpected changes that we will encounter. We wake up, get out of bed with an idea and a plan, and we continue to live those plans out, day after day, making our lives a worthy expression of leaning into the light..._

_People come into our lives as if they were the phases of the moon. You begin with just a sliver of trust and meaning, and with time, that trust can either become full, and bright... Or it can slide from view once again. Though for every orb of light that welcomes your attention, there are only a select few that are able to warm your face and spirit._

_Sometimes, when you're staring up to the heavens, watching those phases, you notice that there are differences, nuances that you had never noticed before, like a person that you thought you knew through and through, only to find another secret. There are pockets of uncharted territory that if you were just brave enough, you would reach to the heavens for them, and if you were lucky, you'd find that the ball of light that you were reaching for isn't as large and as out of reach as you once thought. It's not cold or unwelcoming, but warm and inviting, like a good friend who not only treasures the trust, but gives you the gift of their own trust in return. With that, a bond is created, and a strong thread of friendship will pull you to that other person, and an understanding like no other begins to blossom and grow._

_Those people, the select few; the ones that get drawn into your gravitational pull... they are the ones that are with you until the end. They remain a part of your life forever - no matter the distance, no matter the time passage. More often than not you will find that those certain people, or that 'one' special person, has somehow become something else entirely. They have become a part of you. And that, as they say... is everything._

_You are the one, you have always been the one, and if I were a brave man, I would have told you that a long time ago. You won't give up on me. I know that you won't, and I will never give up on you. I promise that when I get out of here, that I will come find you, Bones. I promise that I will protect you, I promise that I will love you. I love you._

_Love eternally,_

_Booth._

-----------

Before she could stop the tears, they were splattered on the page, and she jumped to move the paper from the path of the next onslaught of tears that were falling. She folded the letter quickly, and pulled out the next one, slipping the first one into the envelope, she sniffled. Wiping the tears from her eye, she began the next letter, dated several months later.

_------------_

_Bones,_

_I want to begin by saying I'm sorry. Last night, I did something stupid. I came back home thinking that everything could be the same again. I had watched you leave work that day, and followed, surprised that you were now living at my place. I was strangely comforted knowing that my belongings were being cared for by you. One night, I saw you sleeping, exhausted though it was early. I had let myself in through the window. I don't know why I did that, perhaps I was afraid of what you would say if I showed up after all of this time. I didn't do this to hurt you, Bones. I didn't do this because I wanted this to happen. I never wanted any of this to happen. I saw you sleeping and I wanted to wake you, I wanted you to know I was there, I wanted to hold you, to comfort you, but I am afraid that you will hate me._

_I was going to leave, finding your sleeping form far too peaceful to disturb, and I saw the room that you had decorated in pink. Stepping into that room, I was surprised to find that it was now a child's room. I took one look at those eyes that were staring back at me, and I knew, Bones. I knew. Unfortunately, this meant… that you had moved on._

_That was yesterday… yesterday was filled with hope, and today I am lost. I have no family, I have no home, but I promise you Bones. If you never give up on me, then I will never give up on you. I promise that I will be with you forever, as long as that may be. I promise you that I will protect you. I promise that I will protect our daughter. I promise that I will love you both. I love you both._

_Love and Protection,_

_Booth._

---------

Quickly, Temperance folded the second letter and slipped it into the envelope. She again wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve as she pulled the third and final letter. She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue reading, but she knew that she had to continue, for she had made it this far, she needed to complete the task. She closed her eyes, and took a slow, deep breath.

This letter was dated nearly two months before Antonia had been kidnapped, the paper was white and crisp, and the writing was clearer and less stressed. She furrowed her brow as she read the words on the page, her focus completely on the paper before her.

_---------_

_Bones,_

_If you are holding this paper in your hand, it could mean one of two things. I am either dead or in prison. If you hate me right now, I hope it is the former, and not the latter. If I have died, then the FBI knows the truth as to why I was not killed in that plane crash. If you want to know the truth, you know the channels, Bones. You can find the truth. If I am in prison… I hope to be able to explain the truth to you in person._

_I did not set out to betray you. I did not set out to hurt you, but I knew that one way or another you would find out that I was not gone. I have spent more than three years living a lie, and I am tired. I have one more mission to fulfill before I disappear, and I'm afraid that it will kill me. The men that bombed my plane are out there, Bones, and I am afraid that they will come after you or Antonia. I vow with my entire soul that I will find those men, and I will ensure that they never endanger you or your family. You deserve the world, and my mistakes of the past will not stand in the way of your future._

_This is why when this mission is complete, that I have to go. I have lived a lie to your daughter, though you will be happy to know that I never told her who I really was. I want to call her mine, but I know in my heart that I lay no claim to her. Since the first day that I met her, Bones… I promised that I would be her protector. I have visited her frequently, and she knows me only by 'Deuce', a nickname that a good friend of mine gave me a long time ago. She's a beautiful girl, Bones. She's smart, witty, and absolutely gorgeous, and I know that you will keep her safe, keep her loved. You are a wonderful mother, and I hope that you will find someone who will love you forever._

_I do not want to leave, but I know that I must, for each passing day, Antonia waits for me at that window, and I can't bear to watch her grow without me any longer. They took my son and put him in witness protection, and now I must leave you. If I survive this mission, then it will be my last._

_The contents of this box are what constitute as my belongings, objects that bring me happiness or remind me of how things are. The articles are clippings from the newspaper, some of them are about the plane crash, and others are ones that I found about you and your work since I have been gone. There is a photo of Parker, and a photo of Antonia that I slipped from one of the photo albums in your study. The objects in the white box are yours… two small tokens of our friendship that you had hidden away. The object in the blue box is a treasure you never found, and one that I had been waiting to give to you. If I am not dead… I prefer that you don't open that box just yet._

_The unopened letters are for Antonia and Parker. If you ever find him again, I need you to make sure that he reads that letter. Antonia's letter is for when you think she is ready to know who I was, if you ever do. You may read it before you give it to her, there is nothing in it that you don't already know._

_Bones, You are the one, you have always been the one, and if I were a brave man, I would have told you that a long time ago. You have never given up on me. I knew that you wouldn't, and I have never given up on you. I promise that I will never leave you. I promise that I will protect you, I promise that I will love you. I love you._

_Forever,_

_Booth._

--------------

Temperance could feel the heat in her cheeks as the tears ran down her face, she could feel her hands trembling as she held the paper, she stared at the words in front of her, and she felt her stomach churning from all of the information that she had just ingested. She took a slow, deep breath trying to control her breathing, trying to control her heartbeat, trying to control her temper, when the sound of the door opening made her jump. She turned her head quickly, folding the paper in her hands as she looked toward the door.

The teller stood concerned, though she said nothing for a moment, she gave Temperance a polite smile. "We're going to be closing up in about five minutes." She said softly.

"Oh." Temperance whispered. "Oh… oh… okay, I… I'm done here." She whispered as she began gathering the objects together in her arms. She closed the lid on the box and gathered the other objects in her hands as she handed the box back to the woman. "I need to close up the account on this box." She whispered. "I… I'm done with it…" she whispered as she watched the teller nod her head, leading her out of room and through the vault to the main lobby of the bank.


	13. The Storm

**Update 13- The Storm**

Temperance made it to the car in a flurry of emotion that she had no way to define but as raw passion. Passion and unadulterated rage, transcending even the inkling of positive energy with clouds darker than those looming above her head at that very moment. She threw the contents of her arms onto the seat beside her and launched herself into the driver's seat, her tears a distant memory as her body hummed with anger.

Her knuckles were white from the death grip that she had on the steering wheel, and the words that were invading her thoughts were laced with his voice, marching mercilessly through her mind. Alone in the car, with only the road in front of her, she was helpless to her thoughts, and a victim of her own curiosity and bravery at the steps she had taken just moments earlier. She felt fooled, tricked, taken for a ride, conned, and those feelings enraged her for she had no rational reason to feel them. She had stepped into that bank hoping to find closure, to close herself off, to find some reason to walk away from him, to walk away from the memories. The only thing she found was that the contents of that box pulled her to him with a much greater force than she could have ever imagined, pulling her earlier resolve to pieces.

Her eyes passed to the objects sitting on the seat beside her, a photo of the plane crash poking from among the articles, she felt a familiar pang of guilt and sadness rattling her belly as she tore her eyes from the page. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing was becoming more erratic, and the lump in her throat was making it very hard to breathe. She yanked the wheel hard as she pulled into a familiar driveway, her tires grinding into the gravel of the road as she drove much too quickly for this particular pathway, slamming the car into park as she stopped beneath the oak tree, her bumper coming within inches of its trunk as she punched the handle on the door, hooking her hand around it, she pulled it hard and kicked the door. With a quick glance to the objects on the seat beside her, she gritted her teeth and climbed from the car, leaving the door ajar in her wake as she slammed her feet into the already damp ground, and stomped the eighty six precise steps toward her goal.

As soon as she was facing the stone that bears his name, she stopped, standing at a slight distance as if she didn't want to get too close. She looked at the name on the stone, the date, the simple nature of the slab before her and her hand clenched. "Look what you've done to me." She growled under her breath, her teeth clenched and her fists rolled into tight balls, her knuckles white, her face flushed with anger. She was between crying and screaming and she had no idea which was going to come out first.

"Look what you have done to me!" She screamed, the thunder overhead was a low rumble, but the rage below those storm clouds was crashing down on the invisible focus of her words. "Look what you have done to me!" She screamed again, her voice cracking as hot tears began to fall down her cheeks. Her body was trembling, the name on the stone only furthering her anger. "You did this to me! Do you understand? Do you understand what you've done to me?" She screamed. "I… I… I HATE you, Seeley Booth! I hate you!" She screamed. There was a flash of lightning, and a low rumble of thunder and a light, steady rain began to fall.

Temperance didn't notice the rain, however, and her eyes remained fixed on the stone before her. "I hate you!" She screamed. "I trusted you! I trusted you, and you let me down! I spent five years, Booth! Five goddamned years with you! I trusted you! I trusted you to tell me the truth! You always told me the truth! You always told me the goddamned truth! You knew that it was important to me! You knew how important it was!" She screamed, slamming her fist down on the hard stone grave, she felt the pain shoot up her arm as she did it again, scraping her knuckles against the cold stone as the rain poured around her, its pace picking up as she reached out and grabbed the stone with her hands and pulled at it.

"You convinced me to come out here and talk to you! You convinced me that when you died, you'd be here to listen to me! You'd be here to hear me when I needed you! You convinced me of that, and you're not even in the fucking ground! I hate you!" She exclaimed, kicking at the stone with her foot, slamming her heel into the hard stone over and over again as she grunted angrily, the rain falling around her, the lightning and thunder matching her rage as she sobbed. "I trusted you to be here to listen to me and you weren't here! You were never here, you fucking asshole! I trusted you! I trusted you!" She exclaimed, stepping back, she noted the black streak that her shoe had made across the stone as the rain poured around her, mixing with her tears and rage as she tried to catch her breath. "I hate you…" She whispered. "I…" She said as she felt her legs wobbling beneath her. The rain fell in torrents around her as she fell to her knees before the stone, her dress pants soaked already, the mud not even a thought in her mind as she stared at the name on the stone.

"I trusted you to be here when I needed you." She whispered. "Where were you?" She said, tipping her head forward, she rested it on the cold stone, the wind blowing hard as the thunder growled above her. "I trusted you, Booth… I loved you. I told you that I loved you, and you were gone." She whispered. "I loved you." She tried to catch her breath, feeling the rain slowing, the cloudburst relenting around her. "I loved you, and you were gone…" She whispered. "I never told you how much I loved you." She breathed heavily, though she was calming slowly, as the rain began to calm. "I love you." She whimpered. "Now what am I supposed to do?" She said, as she began to cry against the stone grave, pressing her skin into the engraving of his name, her fingers cut and bleeding, and her resolve completely melted as the thunder rumbled in the distance, and the rain slowed to a steady drizzle.

----------------

She sobbed against the gravestone for a long time, the cold rain soaking her through, making the weight that she felt on her shoulders even heavier than before. Her tears mixed with the rain, sprinkling the stone and the grass in front of it with her tears of anguish, until she had no answers, and no more tears to cry. Her fingers slipped down the wet stone, landing in her lap as she sat back on her knees and stared at the name engraved, a name she had traced hundreds of times with her finger as she prayed that he was still with her so that she could tell him how she felt.

She looked down at her hands, blood seeped from the wounds, trailing down her skin as she cursed herself internally for being so stupid as to punch a headstone with her bare hand. She stared at the blood for a moment, feeling the sting of the cold rain on her skin as she tried to slow her breathing. She rubbed her face slightly with her other hand, her thoughts clearing for a moment as she listened to the sound of the rain for a moment, hearing a gentle dinging sound in the back of her mind. She turned her head to look at the car beneath the oak tree and gasped as she realized what she had done.

The car door was wide open, the rain sweeping with the wind into its open door. "Oh God…" She whispered, scrambling to her feet. "No… no…" She whispered, her thoughts on the objects on her passenger seat, hoping beyond hope that the rain hadn't soaked them, ruined them before she had a chance to completely look through them all. She reached the car and jumped into the driver's seat, slamming the door behind her, she began to tremble from the unrelenting cold of the rain, staring over at the objects on the passenger seat, she was happy to see that there were only a drop here or there on the objects, and nothing had been damaged. She was soaked and exhausted, and extremely cold. Her hand trembled as she turned the car on, slamming her hand down on the air conditioner to turn it off, she pulled out of the parking space slowly, and turned, driving slowly from the cemetery, almost as if she wanted herself to forget that she had ever been there.

She shivered and her teeth chattered, driving through the rain as her windshield wipers slapped angrily in front of her, wiping the rain from glass in violent strokes. She focused on the road in front of her, the red lights of the truck directly in front of her and nearly had to slam on the brakes as she zoned out for a moment, not realizing that the truck was stopping for a red light.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around at the neighborhood she was in, recognizing some of the buildings, she knew that she was closer to her own apartment and not her father's. She looked at the blood on her knuckles, the loose skin that was sticking up haphazardly and painfully. She shivered in the cold car, the heat that she had turned on was doing nothing to dry her off, nothing to make her feel warm. She knew that she couldn't go back to her father's house looking like this, she knew that she was in no state to see her daughter, so she swallowed her anxiety for the millionth time that day, and pulled up to her apartment, her brain mockingly reminding her that it was once Booth's apartment, and it was also the place that she had refused to return to after that horrible night.

Shivering and wet, she assessed her appearance one more time and knew that there was no way that she could return to her father's house like this. Her eyes traveled to the seat beside her, the objects that he had given her sit idly beside her, as if daring her to take action or to look at them once again. She reached over to the small white box, one of the objects she had yet to open, and thought of the passage in the letter.

The objects in the white box are yours… two small tokens of our friendship that you had hidden away.

She stared at the box in her hands, her wet fingertips leaving marks on the cardboard as her hair dripped onto it. She couldn't imagine what was hidden in the small rectangular box, and like the letters, she was sure that its contents were going to rock something deep within her core. She hesitated, her fingertip gently sliding beneath the lip of the tiny box, and instead of opening it, her mind wandered through the many things it could be, coming up with nothing. She had no choice but to open the box. It would be the only way to satisfy her curiosity. Pausing for only a second longer, she closed her eyes as she flipped open the top of the box, her eyes only opening once it was open. She stared in at the contents, and though she was thoroughly prepared to gasp, she could only stare in at the two objects and let her jaw slack open just a bit. Nestled in the bottom of the box, were two small figurines, two small tokens of their friendship was an understatement.

She lifted the small pink pig from its hiding spot in the box and stared at it for the longest time, remembering that moment years ago when he had presented her with it. She could see his face, his hand lifting it to her face as she stare into the tiny painted eyes of the little animal.

-----------

_"I got something for ya." He said, reaching into his pocket, his eyes sparkling with intent and happiness at her confusion. _

_"A bottle of hard liquor?" She asked, almost hopefully, but knowing that wouldn't be the case. She watched his smile as he pulled his hand up._

_"The next best thing." His smile warmed her heart, and her curiosity was piqued as she waited, watching his hand lift and open, sitting in the middle of his hand was the tiny pink piglet. He held it out to her, leaning in, watching the curiosity in her face, he tipped his head slightly. "Hmm?" He chuckled. "Meet… Jasper." He said, watching her face closely as she looked at her face, waiting for it to relax, he smiled when she finally made eye contact with him, and his smile became wider. She stared curiously at the pig, remembering his question earlier, and she was amazed that he had not only remembered, but that he had made some sort of significance of that moment. He took something that she had thought was nothing, and had made it into something. She laughed and reached out, taking the pig from his hand, she cradled it carefully. She looked at the toy, her eyes filled with amusement and Booth returned that smile with one of his own. "You're going to be okay." He whispered._

_Her eyes lifted to meet his, and he could see the hope in her eyes. "Yeah?"_

_He hardly even paused in his answer. "Definitely." He replied, his words solid and true as she looked down at the tiny pink toy for a moment, thoughtfully, and then raised her eyes back to her partner as they smiled at one another, with a new level of trust and understanding was reached, he smiled back._

-----------

Her hand reached into the box for the second object, and she couldn't help but smile sadly at the implication that it held for her. The memory of that day in the diner flooded back to her like it had been just yesterday, and she held up the little brainy smurf figurine and couldn't help but laugh to herself a little.

---------------

_She watched his hand for a moment, and noticed that he was holding something in his grip. She interrupted her train of thought for a moment and gave him a slight glare. "What is that?" She asked, nodding toward his hand, she watched as he crossed his arms and gave her a humored, yet indignant glare._

_"Nothing."_

_She paused for a moment, thinking she could get past his secretive moment, and continued what she was trying to say previously. "Well, you evolved. And evolution is very impressive, and that is definitely not nothing." She said, nodding toward his hands, she waited._

_"This?" He said, holding up a small smurf figurine, he gave her a sheepish look._

_"Did you bring that for me?"_

_"No."_

_"Good, because it's the wrong smurf." She said, half glaring at him. "I liked Smurfette. That's Brainy Smurf."_

_"Well, Smurfette was a stupid, shallow Smurf who only had her looks. Look, you're better than Smurfette. You have your looks and a whole lot more." His statement was silly in content, but so matter of fact, that she couldn't help but feel something for the man across from her, who was trying so desperately to make amends for something that had hurt her feelings. Though she gave him a slight tip of the head, knowing that she couldn't give in this easily to his charms. _

_"You did bring that for me to charm me in case I didn't find your humiliation story impressive, but I did, so…"_

_"Aha! So I did impress you!" He said, and she knew she had been caught, so she knew she had to give in. She gave him a tight smile and retorted back sharply._

_"That's what impressive means, dummy. You're such a Philistine." She said, thankful when he laughed, she was feeling back to normal, and she had him to thank for that._

_"I'll tell you what." He said, holding the figurine out to her. "You can hold onto this, and it will remind you of how far I've come." _

_She took the toy from his hand and looked at it. Humored and thankful at the same time. "I forgive you for snorting, Booth._

_"Evolution is a long, long process. It takes hundreds of years._

_She tried not to laugh. "Thousands."_

_"Why do you have to always correct me?"_

_"To help you evolve." She said, his smile warming her heart as she smiled back, happy to be back to normal once again, if not slightly closer._

_--------------_

She stared at the two objects in her hands and she could feel the tears in her eyes. They were hot and steady as they rolled down her cheeks, knowing that even such a long time ago he was such a wonderful man that she loved and revered as someone who would never hurt her purposefully. He cared about her, and protected her, and loved her even then. She turned her head and looked up at the apartment, knowing that she needed to get up to the place that she had dreaded returning to for such a long time. She thought of her journey, and what it would take to get up there and clean herself up, and then she thought of Booth's journey. The man had faced death, he had broken nearly every bone in his body, she had seen his MRI and his x-rays from the hospital, she had seen the trauma that he had been through in the past and in the present, yet it wasn't until that moment that it truly hit her. This journey into her own home would be nothing compared to the past three years for that man. He was a good man, an honorable man, and he deserved so much more than she felt that she could offer. The least she could do would be to provide him with some sense of comfort.

So she wiped the tears from her cheeks as best as she could, knowing that the attempt would be pointless, simply because she was soaked. She carefully gathered the objects beside her, gathering each object carefully as not to press them against her soaking body. She reached into the back seat and lifted her bag, and quickly slipped the objects into its depths, protecting it from the wind and rain that she would need to walk through. She lifted her phone from her pocket and dialed a number that Harding had slipped to her wordlessly that morning. "I am inquiring about one of your inmates… I'd like to know what the requirements are for incoming packages." She whispered, anxiously waiting for their reply as she listened to the rain pour down around her. With her question answered, she closed her phone, and closed her eyes as she carefully lifted her bag to her shoulder. She took a slow deep breath and opened her eyes, as she grabbed her keys and jumped from the car, running for the front door so that she could begin the next step in her healing process.


	14. Aftermath

**Update 14- Aftermath**

Temperance entered the building and walked up the stairs toward the apartment, the rain dripping from her body the rain dripping from her body slid down her skin and clothes in rapid succession, leaving small trails of moisture behind as she climbed higher and higher, ending up at her doorstep. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and stared at the number on the door, her eyes focusing on it for several moments as if she were trying to get it to open itself. She knew she wasn't ready for this, but she also knew that she would never actually be ready for this, so she pulled the new key that Angela had given her from her pocket, her eyes on the shiny new metal as it slipped into the lock.

She turned it quickly and closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened the door, immediately hearing several beeps, she stepped forward and pushed in the code that Angela had told her they had given the new security system, and when it was disarmed, she swung the door closed, locking the door as the alarm re-armed itself.

She stood staring at the door for a moment, the beep of the alarm shooting her back into reality as she suddenly felt vulnerable. She had never needed a security system before, and having one now didn't give her that secure feeling that one would think could come from having such a system. Instead, she felt small and needy, vulnerable and scared. She did not like feeling this way, not in the least, and having that tiny device on the wall was enough to make all of those feeling all too real to Temperance.

She turned around, almost expecting to be swept back to that night weeks earlier, when her apartment had been violated, and her belongings strewn about. She probably would have been brought back to that night, if it hadn't been for Angela's redecorating of her living room. She had replaced furniture, had the walls painted, the floor had been polished. The entire room looked completely different, and though at first she was a bit alarmed at the change, the reality of what had happened there dawned upon her, and she was immediately grateful.

She allowed her bag to slip from her shoulder, and carefully, she let it land on the floor, the soft dripping of the water that was soaking her clothes was the only sound other than her breathing that she was aware of. Her eyes darted to the hallway, her daughter's bedroom door open, and the view of her room immediately made her stomach lurch. For a moment, she thought that she was going to vomit. However, she closed her eyes and stepped away from the bag, her shoes clacking softly on the hardwood floor as she approached the bedroom. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling her stomach clenching tightly, she moved into the room and opened her eyes again, her hand moving to the light switch.

The light bathed the room in a soft glow, the walls now a soft purple color instead of its original pink, and she smiled just a bit at the change. The bed had been moved to a spot across from the window, and the reflection of the newly installed bars on the windows made her cringe slightly. She wondered for a moment about how her daughter was going to feel about this change, for right now she felt like she were imprisoned. She clenched her jaw and turned toward her bedroom, shedding her clothing as she stepped into the room, she swept past the bed to the bathroom, where she disrobed quickly and turned the shower on to warm the water.

She turned around and looked at herself in the mirror, her hair still wet and stringy from her earlier tirade, her mascara and eyeliner running in small rivulets down her face, marking her skin with unsightly lines that indicated the mixture of her salty tears in addition to the pouring rain. Her eyes were light and sad, her pupils tiny pinholes of concentration as she tried to stop the avalanche of thoughts that were plowing through her mind at this very moment, blinding any rational thought that might be lurking. The warmth of the steam that was curling around the room, steaming the mirror in front of her forced her to turn around and face it head on, the warmth of the water beckoning her seemingly hypothermic body.

As soon as she stepped under the hot water, she could feel the sting of her scraped knuckles, and the ache of her muscles as the hot water slammed into her skin, her mind instantly slipping to the objects in her bag, the articles, the letters, and more specifically, the objects of hers that he had taken. She settled with her back against the cold tile and closed her eyes, allowing the hot water to warm her skin as she allowed her mind to drift.

-----------

_Temperance held her breath and slammed a key into the lock of her apartment, her emotions on high alert as she tried to stop another wave of sadness from rampaging through her emotions. She swung the door open and stepped inside as if someone were chasing her, and in reality, all she wanted to do was run from the outside world, hide from everyone who was trying to comfort her._

_She slid down the door to the hardwood floor beneath her, curling her legs up as she began to cry again. She had held it together for the entire funeral, for the small gathering afterwards, the drive home, and she was so tired of holding it together, that she just let it all go. She was alone now, not just in her apartment she felt, but alone now in the world, now that he was gone. She felt her body trembling with the onslaught of tears, and never in her life had she ever felt this vulnerable, this broken before, that when she was finally able to look up, she focused directly on those two objects that held more meaning in their tiny plastic forms, then anything ever should. She pulled herself off the floor suddenly, her anger would have been surprising if she had taken a moment to think about it, and she grabbed hold of the figurines._

_She held them tightly in her grip, rage filling her heart as she squeezed them in her hand and stalked into her bedroom, swinging open her closet door, she pulled an empty box from the shelf, she threw the two figurines inside. "No more…" She said, her teeth grinding together as she ripped open a drawer, and pulled the scarf that he had bought her when they were on an undercover case, she slammed it into the box. She found an old dress shirt that he had left at her apartment, a tie, and both objects were slammed violently into the box. "No more… he's gone…" She said as she ran for more objects, she grabbed a picture of the two of them, sitting on a table beside her couch, and she stalked back into her bedroom and slammed it into the box, shattering the glass and the frame, more and more objects filled that drawer. When everything that reminded her of him had been stowed angrily into the box, she found a roll of packing tape and took to the box violently, rolling the tape around the box as if she were mummifying it, as if she were preserving it, as if she were hiding those objects forever, and when the box was securely fastened, she lifted it with ease as she opened her closet door, and flung the box with all of her strength into the back of it, slamming the closet door, she leaned against it and began to cry, her face in her hands as she sobbed, sliding to the floor as she mourned the loss of her best friend._

---------

Temperance found herself crying against the tile, the hot water becoming cold as she took several deep breaths, trying to quell her memories, trying to control her emotions. She slammed her hand down on the faucet and immediately the water stopped. She reached to the towel rack and pulled a towel into the shower with her, quickly drying her body so that she could climb out of the shower, she wrapped her hair, and climbed out, grabbing her bathrobe, she wrapped it around herself and walked through the bathroom quickly, careful not to look at herself in the mirror.

She walked down the hallway toward the closet that they had used for storage, remembering that when she had moved into this apartment, that she had placed that box on a high shelf far from the reach of Antonia, far from the reach of even herself. She opened the door and looked up, seeing the box sitting atop several others, she glanced over toward her bag near the door, and back to the box. She reached into the closet and pulled out the small step ladder that was stored within it, unfolding it, she climbed carefully to the box and lifted her hands up to pull it down, the tape still covered it, its contents still secure. It wasn't until she pulled it completely in her arms that she realized that the tape had been cut and the box opened. Her grip on the box slipped, and it slid from her hands to the floor, the loud bang on the hardwood floor nearly made her jump as she scrambled down from the step ladder to the box. She pulled open the box and looked inside, surprised that most everything else had been left. Jasper and Brainy Smurf had been removed, as had the photograph that she had thrown into the box. She pulled the scarf from the box, her fingers digging into the material as she felt her legs becoming slightly weak, she sat down against the wall, pulling the box into her lap as she began to go through the objects in the box, and all of the emotions that she had desperately tried to hide within it. And though she had remembered placing Jasper in the box so many years ago, she remembered a day several months earlier that now made complete sense.

_-------_

_"Mama?" Antonia said as she sat across from her mother at the diner, her plate with pie nearly half gone, the smile on her lips happy and bright as she took another bite._

_Temperance looked up from the files she was reading over and gave her daughter a smile. "Hmm?" She said, leaning a bit on the table, her eyes smiling into her daughter's as she waited patiently for the question._

_"Who is Jasper?" She asked innocently, her head tilting in complete innocence, that Temperance was taken aback by the question._

_"Who is… who?"_

_"Jasper." Antonia replied, as if she had said that name many times, as if she knew exactly what it meant to her mother._

_"Jasper…"_

_"Yeah… Deuce said he has a friend named Jasper that you don't talk to anymore."_

_"Sweetheart…" Temperance said as she shook her head. "Mommy doesn't know anyone named Jasper."_

_"Oh." Antonia nodded as she looked to her elephant beside her. "Deuce, it's not nice to fib." She said, looking back to her mother she smiled. "Don't worry, Mommy… I yelled at him." She said with a smile as she took another scoop of pie and smiled at her mother as Temperance gave her daughter a smile back, though she remained slightly confused as to her daughter's question._

_------_

Temperance moved the scarf around in her hand and stared at it for a moment, the memory of her daughter's innocence and charm, mixed with the knowledge of who 'Deuce' really was enough to knot her stomach. He had been there, he had known what she had done. He knew that she had tried to package up her past in a cardboard box and hide it in the closet. He knew that she had tried to forget, tried to push it away, tried to distance herself from that life. He knew all of those things, and he accepted it. He accepted it because he knew that no matter how hard she had pushed those things to the back of her mind, that she was reminded every day of him through the eyes of her child, and he knew that if she wanted to forget him, she wouldn't have brought Antonia into the world. Even with the hiding and the pushing aside of all of these reminders of him, she had made the ultimate memory by giving birth to his child. She looked up at the wall across from her, where a photograph of Antonia sit framed upon the wall. Her father's brown eyes stared back at her with a soft determination just as they always had, but it was different now.

Not different because he is alive now, but as Temperance realized… he was always alive, and she needed him to stay that way if not just so that she could see the happiness in her daughter's eyes, but so that she could see that same happiness in his eyes again.

She started suddenly, her attention brought to the bag that she had brought inside, and she quickly scrambled from the floor toward the bag. She swung open the closet beside the door and carefully pulled down another empty box. She pulled her bag toward her and removed several of the objects, placing them into the box, she grabbed her phone and the box, and headed to the bedroom with purpose. She grabbed a black bound notebook from the shelf as she tossed it down on her vanity, searching desperately for a phone number, she ran her finger across the number in the book as her thumb pushed the numbers into her phone with her other hand. She pressed the phone to her ear as she began to pack the box quickly. She straightened and stopped as someone picked up on the other side of the line.

"This is Doctor Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian Institute." She paused, a slight smile slipping onto her lips as she took a deep breath. "Yes, please put me through immediately." She said, her focus once again on the box before her, and the very important conversation that she was about to have.


	15. Frisky Business

**Update 15- Frisky Business**

Booth attempted to roll over on the lumpy cot, his back and ribs still extremely tender as the springs pressed into the bruises that lingered from his injuries. He could feel the bandage on his side rubbing against his skin, cruelly scratching into his skin as it attempted to ward off infection from the gunshot wound, and hold his cracked ribs in place. The pain had been immense, but somehow he was able to move past the physical pain and attempted to focus on the emotional pain he was feeling. He had been in the prison infirmary for no longer than the afternoon that he had gotten to the facility, thoroughly poked and prodded by the prison physician, he was cleared to be moved to his cell, so long as he had a full physical each day. He shifted again on the cot, feeling the sharp pain in his side, he prayed that the painkiller he had been given not a half hour earlier would do its job.

His eyes were closed, both to rid his mind of the images of the poor conditions of his surroundings, and to force himself to slip into a deep enough sleep so that he would forget who he was altogether. He found himself slipping in and out of consciousness from time to time, but images of the dank, dirty sink in the corner, and the faint, but constant smell of urine, always seemed to keep him from slipping far enough under to keep reality at bay. He released a sigh, his eyes popping open again as the distant sound of footsteps echoed against the gray concrete walls. Keys rattled, and suddenly the door to his cell was being opened, the metal bars rattling as they were pushed to the side. A shadow appeared, and Booth turned his head slowly to peer up at the guard standing over him.

"Get up. Someone is here to see you," the guard informed him in a monotone voice.

"I get visitors now?" Booth joked, sitting up slowly, slipping his shoes on his feet.

"If that visitor is your lawyer, then, yeah, you get visitors."

"Lawyer?" Booth look up confusedly at the guard who stood near the cell door, waiting. "My…lawyer is here?"

"Unless, she's your sugar mama," the guard laughed, causing Booth to narrow his eyes at him. "Hey, no judgment here, man... some people are into that sort of thing."

Booth stood and walked past the guard, pausing so that he could put the handcuffs on his hands for transport, he ignored him as he closed the cell door and then moved behind Booth, chuckling like a little kid. He led Booth down several hallways, past a row of empty cells, and into the newly renovated part of the prison. They entered one of the interviewing rooms, and he motioned for Booth to take a seat at the one lone table in the middle of the room. He removed the handcuffs and left him there alone to wait.

A few silent minutes ticked by and exhaustion began to settle in even more, mixing with the anxious feeling in the pit of Booth's stomach. He slouched in his chair and closed his eyes, rubbing them with his fingertips, and then jumped when the door suddenly opened in a flurry.

"Well," Caroline spoke loudly, her briefcase slamming onto the table with a loud echo, and a box landed on the table beside it, "in the possibility of saying something cliché, I wasn't going to say 'I see dead people', but looking at your pale, sorry ass, I think I will make an exception." She gave Booth a once-over and shook her head at him. "You look like ten miles of bad road, cheri."

"Thanks, Caroline," Booth muttered. "You look great, too."

"Why, thank you," she smiled, sitting down across from him.

"I was being sarcastic."

"I wasn't," she smiled again.

"Why are you here?" Booth asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

Caroline sighed. "Your girlfriend called me... she wants me to get your pretty self out of this place, which I think is looking pretty nice. How did you manage to get thrown into a prison that looks nicer than my living room?"

"It's not exactly the Ritz, but I've seen worse," he replied. "Wait… Bones called you?"

"So...?" She asked, her eyes asking him a million questions at once, she ignored his question. "You gonna spill the beans on what's going on, or what?" When Booth shrugged and said nothing, she sighed again. "Listen, cheri... I know you've been through a lot these past few weeks, hell, probably the last few years. But, right now, I don't give a flying fig what got you here. I'm just here to get you out."

Booth shook his head and looked away from her. "I belong here," he spoke sorrowfully. "I broke the law and I need to face the consequences of my actions."

"Listen," Caroline nearly yelled, drawing Booth's attention again, "I am not spending my hard earned tax dollars on keeping a good man like you in prison, Seeley Booth. You should be out in the world making trouble for the bad guys, raising hell!" She flailed her arms dramatically as she leaned across the table slightly, glaring into his eyes.

Booth stared at her from across the table, his expression weary and his eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. Just thinking about chasing bad guys made him exhausted all over again. "Maybe I'm done. Maybe I don't have any fight left in me."

"Is that what you really think, Booth? You're just gonna give up completely? You're just going to hang up your gun and badge, your cavalier attitude and cocky belt buckle?" Caroline asked, dumbfounded. "That doesn't sound like the Seeley Booth I know. That sounds more like a coward than a tough special agent for the FBI."

"Yeah, well...I don't work for the FBI anymore, Caroline… the FBI is the reason I'm here in the first place," he stated with venom in his voice. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, and then stood up and began to pace. "Bones called you?" He asked again, glancing at Caroline and he paced across the room.

Caroline nodded. "Someone still seems to believe in you, Booth. Even if you're too stupid to believe in yourself."

Booth scoffed at her, shaking his head as he made another path across the table where Caroline sat glaring at him. "What did Bones say to you to get you here?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That information is proprietary, Booth. Being a client, I can't tell you what she and I discussed… I am not going to tell you anything about how she threatened to go to the media with what she called a miscarriage of justice, and blatant disregard for the life and future of a war hero, father, and man who was willing to risk life and limb, not to mention his own freedom in order to protect his friends and family from terrorists. I can't tell you how she was willing to go to the Secretary of Defense with a laundry list of accusations against the FBI, or how she was willing to risk her own freedom, her career, and her life to get you out of here… I am not going to tell you this, because she's my client… and I don't have that privilege."

"Bones… she… wait a minute, she threatened to release this to the media?"

"I am not at liberty to say, but yes." Caroline nodded. "She's a pretty determined young lady when she wants something, Booth. I'm sure that if she thought she could get away with it, she'd be driving her SUV through that wall right now to get you out of here." She said, straightening herself as she raised an eyebrow at the man who now was sitting across from her, staring at her over the metal table.

"What about getting Parker back?"

"Sweetheart… getting your boy out of witness protection is going to take a hell of a lot more than a pulp fiction writer threatening the Federal Bureau of Investigation and hiring a federal prosecutor to save your sorry ass," she deadpanned, her eyes on his as he stared across the table at her, a determined look on his face. "Listen Booth..." she folded her hands atop the table, "there are some things that I need you to do so that we can get the ball rolling on this case."

Booth's eyebrows lifted, but he didn't say anything. He didn't feel much like talking about the past few years.

Caroline pressed on, despite his defiance. "I need a full video interview with you, telling us exactly what you've been doing for the past four years... and I am going to need a video interview with that little mini mute. If you can get her talking, that'd be great... since you saved her life and all that jazz. Judges just love that kind of crap, you know... so from her lips to our ears would be delightful."

She gave him an eye lift of her own as she waited for him to respond. He seemed to be thinking over what she said, because his face shifted expression with each thought that ran through his brain. Finally, he sighed and let his forehead rest in his hand, he looked back up at her and shook his head.

"Caroline, she won't talk to anyone," he said, as if that answer was good enough.

"Well pinch her," Caroline stated, "put some hot coals under her butt... give her a bigger allowance... I don't care what you do Booth, but if you don't want to spend the next twenty years rotting away in a federal penitentiary for not speaking up... then do nothing."

Booth needed some time and space to think; to process everything that was unfolding before him. He thought of the tiny jail cell that awaited him and inwardly sighed. There would be no distractions in that dark place to keep him from thinking about of this.

"What else do I need?" He asked, still not agreeing with her request.

"Besides a shower? " she teased. "That's it for now, Cheri. You just get the ball rolling, and we'll see if we can get it to snowball into something beneficial for us."

"Right," he nodded.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Caroline slid the box across the table at Booth. "This is for you."

"What?" Booth looked down at the box and then back up at her with a confused expression as she stood up and started for the door.

"It's a little gift from your girlfriend. Maybe she packed you some deodorant, or a toothbrush," She chuckled. "Don't you worry... the kind gentleman who frisked me out there looked through it, so no file hidden in a cake in that package." She said, giving him one last smile before she opened the door and was gone before he could say anything else. "Get me that interview, Booth. You of all people should not have to live like this," She said, as he watched her shadow replaced with that of the guard, who held out his handcuffs to transport Booth back to his cell.

------------

Once in his cell, the guard removed the handcuffs and handed the box over to him, leaving him to his thoughts. Booth held the box in his hands, sitting on the bed, he stared down at the careful cut that had been sliced down the tape by the guards, and the sloppy re-application of scotch tape to the corners, to hold the flaps of the box closed.

He stared at it for several moments, his name written in her soft, scrolling hand across the top, he almost wanted to stare at it for a couple more minutes. He knew she cared about him, but this was the actual three dimensional proof that he didn't think would be coming for quite a while. He slipped his finger beneath the flap and ran it along the lid of the box, listening to the soft pop of the tape as each piece was split beneath the pressure of his finger. When the box was opened, he looked in at its contents and couldn't help but smile. Tucked at the bottom were a t-shirt or two of his, several pieces of paper, and the small white box from the safety deposit box.

His brow furrowed for a moment as he lifted the small box, shaking it slightly, he opened it to reveal Jasper, and Brainy smurf, settled to the bottom. He swallowed hard, feeling his heartbeat quicken slightly, he wasn't sure what this meant. He moved a couple more objects around, and pulled out a photo of Antonia. He felt a slight gasp in his throat as he looked at the photo of Temperance with the little girl that was beneath the first photo, and he couldn't help but smile as he turned to a third photo of the little girl, one of her smiling through cake or pie that she had eaten, her brown eyes sparkling with happiness, her fingers sticky and colored with whatever it was she had been eating. His finger ran over the photograph as he thought of the little girl, her voice ringing in his ears. He wished at that moment that he could hold her, talk to her, tell her how much he missed her. He could feel the lump in his throat as he reached into the box again, finding a small envelope with his name written across it. He pulled it out and set it aside, he then pulled one of the t-shirts out, and was instantly hit with the scent of her.

He brought the shirt to his face and breathed it in, his fingers moving over the fabric, he noticed several worn spots on the collar, and the design that was on the front seemed like it had seen its share of washes in the washing machine.

He looked into the box again, smiling to himself as he reached for the next treasure, a small box that for some reason looked familiar to him. He opened it and swallowed hard when he saw its contents. He reached his hand into the small box and pulled his St. Christopher's medal from within the box. He could feel his heart become heavy as he turned it over in his hand, suddenly realizing that it wasn't the one that his grandfather had given him. It was newer, cleaner, and the chain slightly thicker than the one he had given Temperance. He held the medal in his hand and reached for the envelope, tearing the edge of the envelope with his teeth, he let the edge sit on the tip of his tongue and imagined he could taste the perfume from her skin on the paper and closed his eyes as he tried to toss those thoughts away with a whip of the paper into his hand and out of the envelope, he unfolded it and for a moment just stared at the handwriting on the paper, imagining her sitting at her table, writing this letter to him, he chewed his lip as he held onto the medal tighter in his hand, his mind finally settling on the words on the paper.

-------

_Booth,_

_I have written this letter five times, and each time I write it, I look at my words and tell myself that it isn't enough. The first letter was simple and short, written as if nothing had happened, as if I were just writing a friend that was far away. The first letter was just a brief denial of my feelings, taking all of the years that I had been without you and pretending that they didn't exist. Upon realization that this was unfair to not only you, but also to myself, I chose to destroy that letter._

_The second letter that I attempted included a much angrier tone. I wrote it with such an angry knot in my stomach, that I knew that there was no way that I could continue. Despite the anger and betrayal that I feel, you don't deserve to hear my wrath. There are a lot more things at work here than just a simple case of betrayal, and I know that you would never do this to purposefully hurt me. I stared at the first two letters, and tried to write a third, it was wrought with frustration and the next was sad and self involved. I stared at the words on each letter for several moments, unfolding the ones that I was unable to send, and I came to the obvious conclusion that I was grieving your life as I did your death._

_The objects in the package are for you to find comfort in, and I hope that you will. I am working on being brave enough to face this, and in my initial steps I have sought help from several old friends. Christopher helped me to realize that I was not alone in dealing with the pain, he is a good friend and a worthy partner._

_I want you to know that I do not hate you, Booth. You are a good man with a good heart and I have vowed to avenge the wrongdoings that have occurred against you. We have a lot to talk about when we are able, and I look forward to that time. For now, I have Antonia to think about, and my own mental health, as well as using my connections to have you freed once again. Your letters moved me, Booth, your words were heartfelt and I am taking them very seriously. Please know that you have always been on my mind and in my heart. I ask of you this last thing, not because I think it is possible, but because I just need to say it. Please, Booth… never give up. I will see you when I am able._

_With all of my love,_

_Temperance. (Bones)_

-----

He almost laughed at the nickname, scrawled in parenthesis at the end of the letter. He ran his finger over the name, picturing her in his mind as he was suddenly rattled from his thoughts once again by the cell door opening. "Looks like you're a popular guy today, Booth." The guard said with a humored smirk that Booth couldn't understand, until he saw the handcuffs dangling off the man's finger.

"What?" He said, shaking his head in confusion.

"Your shrink is here now."

"My shrink?"

"That's what he says." The guard shrugged, as Booth nodded and approached the guard, preparing to greet his next guest.


	16. Tell Her

**Update 16- Tell Her**

_Six Days Later_

"I don't see how this is going to be helpful." Temperance said stubbornly to the psychologist, the smile on his face not deceiving in the least as they sat in the darkened observation room. They watched through the window into the next room as Antonia played silently in the corner with several toys, not even paying attention to the case worker who was in the room with her. She would occasionally glance at the door, her eyes not filled with concern, or worry, but almost boredom as she played with a set of blocks, piling them up high and balancing them carefully on top of one another.

"You have to be patient, Doctor Brennan." Sweets said softly, glancing to the woman as she stood nervously against the window, her hands were nearly trembling as she watched her daughter play. "She needs to develop a sense of trust at being alone, and with strangers. She hasn't been getting better by just going through her every day routines, so it is important to introduce stimuli that will instigate a response." He explained.

"She's just sitting there. She looks bored."

"Patience, Doctor Brennan."

"Patience? You were going to talk to her, Sweets. Watching and observing her is not going to get her to talk to us. This was a mistake." She said with an irritated sigh as Sweets put his hand on her arm.

"Just wait." He said, watching Temperance stare into the room for a second, he remained with his eyes forward, despite the glare that she shot in his direction.

"What are we waiting for?" She asked, when her attention suddenly brought to the sound of a knock at the door in the room where Antonia was. Temperance's eyes flashed to Sweets, and she noticed him stand up straighter. "Sweets?" She said, waiting for him to answer. He put his hand up as if to ask her to hang on a second, and they watched the case worker move across the room toward the door. She opened it slowly and talked to whoever was on the other side, her voice soft as she glanced to Antonia in the corner, and nodded to the person at the door. She then exited the room. "Sweets, where is she going?" Temperance asked as the door opened wider. Along with the door, her eyes widened at the sight of who entered the room. "Sweets! That's Booth!"

"Very good, Doctor Brennan."

"I did not approve of this!" She said angrily as she stormed toward the door, only to have her hand grabbed by Sweets, just as the sound of her daughter's voice filled the observation room.

"Doctor Brennan, just wait a second." He said quickly, their eyes now focused on the little girl and the man in the next room.

"Deuce!" Antonia's voice squealed happily, and Temperance's attention remained on the room and her daughter, where she watched a smile as bright as ever light up her daughter's face. It was the first smile she had seen since she had been taken, and his name was the first real word that wasn't said in anger or sadness, whispered, or mumbled. Her daughter moved quickly through the room, around the table and nearly launched herself into the arms of the waiting man. There was an evident wince of pain when he pulled her to him tightly, her head landing on his shoulder, her arms around his neck, but it disappeared as soon as the little girl was securely in his arms.

Temperance stared into the room, her mouth open slightly as she watched the interaction, and didn't miss for a moment, the tear that was slowly rolling down Booth's cheek. "I did not approve this, Sweets." She growled as Sweets shook his head and shrugged.

"You told me that you wanted me to do absolutely anything I could to get her talking again, Doctor Brennan. If you'll just put a little bit of trust in me here… give me a little credit… I can assure you, this will be completely worth your while…" He said with a satisfied nod, as Temperance stepped up to the glass beside Sweets, her eyes never leaving the two people standing in the next room, the two people in her life that she loved like no other.

-------------

The little girl's eyes squeezed shut, her arms tightened around his neck as she felt tears escaping her eyes. She didn't know how or why she could see him all of a sudden, and she didn't care. He was alive, he was not lying in a hospital bed, he was not lying on the ground bleeding, crying, falling into shock. He was here, standing here, alive, moving, hugging, kissing her cheek, whispering her name. He was here with her, and she didn't care about 'why', because to her, the 'why' didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that it was. That was all that mattered. "Deuce." She whispered again into his ear, leaning back to look at his face, her hands touched his face, her forehead touching his as his eyes finally met hers.

"Toni…" He whispered, his voice a whisper of what seemed to be relief. "I missed you so much… I missed you so, so very much." He said, his voice as serious and as full of emotion as he could ever remember it being. His eyes flashed to the mirror on the opposite side of the room, the mirror that he knew that Sweets was behind, that Bones was behind, and his eyes lingered for a moment in his own reflection as he hugged the little girl. A person would have to be blind to not realize how much he loved that little girl.

His name was all she whispered into his ear, the name she knew him by, again and again she whispered it as she squeezed him tightly, tears flowing down her cheeks as she began to cry.

"Hey baby… my sweet little thing, no crying… no crying here," He whispered "Please don't cry. That's not why I'm here," He said, listening to her cries become lessened as he carefully lifted her to the floor. She resisted for a moment, but released his shirt from her grasp and he nodded toward the chair at the little table in the room. "Come sit down with me, baby…" He said softly as she nodded her head, wiped her tears on her sleeve and moved to the chairs, pulling one out for him, he smiled as he sat down, and smiled even bigger when she crawled into his lap and cuddled into him, her hands immediately grabbing one of the papers and a crayon that were lying on the table.

Booth sat with her quietly, her hand moving over the paper as she colored it, his eyes flashing to the mirror once again, remembering his conversation with Sweets nearly a week earlier.

------------  
_Booth sat at the table in the prison, his second visit to this room since he had woken up this morning, and he was waiting patiently for his guest to be ushered inside. The guard had said his 'shrink' was there, and to Booth that meant one of two possible people. The moment he saw Doctor Sweets walk through the door, a smile lit up his face, a rarity for Booth in recent days, but his heart had been softened since he had read Temperance's letter, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at seeing his old friend walk through the door._

_"Sweets!" Booth exclaimed as he reached his hand out to shake the psychologist's hand. "Man, it is so great to see you!"_

_"Booth! My God, it really is you!" Sweets said, stepping forward, he grabbed hold of Booth's hand and gripped it tightly, almost surprised when the other man pulled him in closer for a hug. "It is seriously you!" Sweets said, pulling out of the hug, he gripped Booth's shoulder and looked him in the eye as the other man smiled at him._

_"You're not going to kiss me now, are you… because this is prison, and…" Sweets laughed and released Booth's hand, stepping back the men chuckled for a second as Sweets made his way around the table, he pulled at the chair and laughed for a moment as Booth pulled his chair out and sat down. "You talked to Bones?" He asked, the happy sparkle still in his eye for another moment as Sweets nodded and sat down._

_"Yeah… yeah, I talked to Doctor Brennan yesterday."_

_"Did she send you here to talk to me?"_

_"Actually, no." Sweets shook his head. "She just… she um… she came to see me about Antonia."_

_"Oh." Booth paused. "Did you see her? How is she doing? Is she speaking yet? God… I just… I…"_

_"She needs to see you too." Sweets said, watching Booth's eyes meet his, he tipped his head curiously. "I can tell… just… just from meeting her, she has a connection with you." Sweets replied. "She is a beautiful little girl."_

_"She is…" Booth replied. "She looks just like her mother… has the same temperament and everything." He chuckled to himself, becoming slightly thoughtful. "What have you been up to? I heard you left the FBI."_

_"Come on, Booth. They treated you like a second rate citizen… and they treated Doctor Brennan like a hired hand. There was no way I was going to stand for that… I stood up to them, and they threatened me, so I left… and I have never been happier."_

_"Good for you, Sweets. Married?"_

_"Yes… married Daisy… you remember her, right?"_

_"How could I forget her…" Booth chuckled._

_"We have a son… Brendan." Sweets said, pulling out a picture of his son, he slipped it onto the table, and Booth pressed his finger onto the photo and slid it toward him. He looked at the boy's picture and smiled._

_"Handsome young man you have there, Sweets… handsome young man." He said, looking up into the psychologist's eyes to show him that he was being absolutely serious._

_"We're going to get you out of here, Booth."_

_"That is going to be a lot harder than you think, Sweets." Booth replied, sighing. "Did Bones tell you everything?"_

_"She told me enough. I know that you have a very, very compelling case against the FBI. I know that you have a very strong connection with your daughter. Her testimony is going to be the key in the case."_

_"She's not going to talk, Sweets. She thinks I'm invisible."_

_"Why would she think that?"_

_"I told her that I was invisible. She doesn't know that I'm her father, she doesn't know anything. She thinks that I'm a ghost that visits her. She hasn't even seen Bones talk to me. I told her stories, but she thinks that's exactly what they are… stories. Bones hasn't let me see her, Sweets. She probably won't let me see her. It's fine."_

_"It's not fine." Sweets said definitively. "It is most definitely not fine." His voice was full of emotion as he stood up and looked Booth in the eyes. "You're going to have to cut the self loathing attitude out now, Booth. You don't deserve to be in here, and your child doesn't deserve to be without a father… and Doctor Brennan? She may act like everything is fine on the outside, but she was lost without you, man. She won't admit it, but she needs you."_

_"Sweets."_

_"No." He said, shaking his head. "I'm getting a transport ready for next week. Doctor Brennan has agreed to allow Antonia to be part of a closed observation proceeding, and you're going to be there."_

_"Just in case you hadn't noticed, Sweets. I'm kind of in jail."_

_"And just in case you hadn't noticed, Booth. I'm getting you out of here." He said as he stood up. "You'll be informed of the time and place of the transport. I was already informed by your lawyer that it would be fine."_

_"You talked to Caroline?"_

_"She talked to me." Sweets replied, nodding his head. "I'll see you next week, Booth." He said, holding his hand out again. "It's good to see you again."_

_"Right back at you, Sweets." Booth said with a nod, shaking his hand as he watched the psychologist turn and walk to the door, whereupon the guard let him through._

------------  
"Toni." Booth said, watching Antonia's hand color over the paper seamlessly, her concentration on the paper before her as she settled into his arms comfortably. "Toni, we need to talk." He said softly, the little girl's hand slowing as she set the first crayon down, grabbing another color.

She didn't reply, only continued to color on the paper silently, the only sound in the room was the sound of the crayon scraping the paper. "Toni…" He whispered. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, and with a quick glance to the mirror, he said his next words definitively, as if he were declaring it to more than just the little girl. "I'm not going to be invisible anymore, Antonia." He said, her hand dropped the crayon, and her eyes moved to him, wide and surprised, her mouth opening slightly in surprise.

-----------------

"What does he mean that he's not going to be invisible anymore?" Temperance whispered to Sweets. "What does he mean?"

"Booth told her… in his visits, that he was invisible."

"You've been talking with Booth?"

"Well, confidentiality…"

"To hell with confidentiality, Sweets. This is my daughter we're talking about!" She exclaimed.

"You didn't ask me about your daughter, you asked about Booth."

"And he's in that room talking to my daughter, so unless you want me to call a stop to this little experiment you have going on here, you'll tell me more!" She demanded.

"You'll get more, Doctor Brennan, you have to be patient!" He exclaimed, clearly not taking for granted the information that he had about Booth. "But it's not my responsibility to tell you the things that Booth and I have talked about. It's his responsibility to tell you. He's the one that has to tell you."

"Does he know that I am here?"

"Obviously." Sweets replie, their eyes moving back to the room, where they found Booth's eyes staring directly at the mirror, and it was almost as if he knew exactly where they were standing in the room, for his eyes were directly on her. "He knows that you are here, Doctor Brennan, and he wants to talk to you. He wants to help you, and he wants to help Antonia. He loves her very much."

----------------

"Toni… did you hear me?" Booth asked, the little girl's eyes moving to the paper again, she picked up her crayon. "I don't want to be invisible anymore."

The coloring continued for several moments, the ferocity of her scribbles was increasing, and Booth watched her carefully as her brow furrowed as if she were concentrating, her hand suddenly slamming down on the table with such force, that Booth nearly jumped. "Why not?" She asked, practically shouting the word to her visitor, her own voice surprising her as she thought of sliding from his lap, but decided instead to remain there, touching him, for she was afraid if she let him go, he'd disappear again.

"Do you like seeing me during the daytime?" He whispered, watching her nod her head. Her focus was completely on him, and he wanted it to remain there. He touched her hand, and she grabbed his. "Do you like holding my hand?" She nodded her head and her brow furrowed. "What? What is it?"

"When Oompa saw you, he hit you." She whispered. "When the bad man saw you, he hurt you."

Booth's breath caught in his throat, the implications of her words were staggering, and said so much about what she was thinking. Her eyes were so perfectly sincere that there were no words he could say that could completely rid her of the fears within them. "Toni." He whispered.

"Are you invisible right now?" She asked.

"I feel invisible sometimes." He replied honestly. "But I don't want to be."

"Why not?"

"Because… when I'm invisible." He said, honestly. "I can't talk to your mommy… I can't hug her or tell her how I feel. I can't tell her that I love her, if I'm invisible. I can't hold her and promise I'll protect her when I'm invisible. When I am invisible, I have to hide… I have to be very quiet and I can't talk to the people that I love. I can't see you if I'm invisible, Antonia. I can't take you places, and show you things… I can't hug you if I'm invisible. Being invisible is very lonely. It's lonely, and sad… and I don't want to be lonely and sad anymore." He whispered.

Her eyes dropped to the paper in front of her, and Booth heard a swallow come from the little girl, her eyes remaining downcast and sad. "But the bad men…" She whispered, her voice was strong and determined.

"The bad men are in jail… where they belong, Antonia. They could see me when I was invisible too… but they're gone. They are not going to come back."

"And Oompa?" She whispered, looking up at Booth with a staggering confusion, her lower lip in her mouth, her hand still in his. "Why did Oompa hit you?"

"Oompa? Don't you worry about old Oompa…" Booth shook his head. "He wasn't being mean… he wasn't trying to hurt me… I kind of shocked Oompa, surprised him the first time he saw me… and his first reaction was to protect you, to protect your mommy. Oompa didn't hit me because he didn't like me or he wanted to hurt me. He hit be because I surprised him… that's not saying that hitting is good in any situation." He said, his voice changing to a more fatherly tone as he watched Antonia nod at him.

"Deuce?" She whispered, playing with the crayon in her hand, she watched him for a moment and he nodded his head as he waited for her to continue. "What's your real name?" She whispered softly as she felt him starting to move, gripping her tightly as he stood up. It took him a moment, and he did look like he was in pain, but he shifted her into his arms.

-------

"What is he doing?" Temperance asked, straightening up as she watched Booth lifting the girl from the seat. She had tears in her eyes, her hand reflexively resting on the window that separated the rooms, as if she felt it would get herself closer to them.

"He's just talking…" Sweets said, trying to reassure her, they watched Booth lift Antonia in his arms and move toward the mirror.

------------

"You want to know what my real name is?" He asked with a familiar smile to the little girl, one that made Temperance's heart beat a little faster, one that she had missed for such a long time. He appeared to be so relaxed with her daughter, so… himself. She watched in awe as they approached the mirror.

"Yes." The little girl said with a whisper. "Mommy calls you Booth."

"That's what your mommy calls me." He nodded as they stared into their reflection in the mirror.

"Why?"

"She's always called me that." He said, poking the little girl's nose tenderly with his finger, he laughed when she giggled.

"Is that your name?"

"Mm… sometimes." He said, nodding his head, he placed his hand flat on the mirror and he stared at his reflection. "That's my last name... Booth is my last name, like... your name is Antonia Brennan... Brennan is your last name."

"What's your first name?" She whispered. "Deuce?" She said impatiently when she noticed he was just staring into the mirror. "Deuce, what is your first name?"

--------------------  
Temperance stood face to face with Booth, staring directly into his eyes. She listened to the sound of her daughter's voice, the question that was sitting on the tip of the little girl's tongue, and she shook her head. "Tell her." She whispered, watching the innocence in her daughter's eyes return with the happiness of her smile, the sweetness of her voice. "Booth…please. You need to tell her." She whispered, not caring for a moment that he had somehow found her hand against that window, that his was resting directly on hers through the glass, that the innocence in his eyes matched the little girls. All that mattered in that moment was the answer to the question that Antonia asked. It didn't matter that Sweets was beside her, or that this was considered a closed session, a conversation between father and daughter that the little girl was supposed to feel safe from being listened to. She didn't know that there were people behind that mirror. She didn't know that she wasn't alone, she didn't know that her mother could hear her fears, and she had no idea that her mother was storming out of the door of the observation room, before the young psychologist could even think of stopping her.


	17. Heaven is a Place on Earth

**Update 17- Heaven is a Place On Earth**

Booth had walked over toward the table with Antonia, his answer to her question still hung in the air as he placed the little girl standing on the table top. "Deuce?"

"Just give me a second…" He said, trying to figure out what he was going to say, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shouting outside the door. Antonia reached forward and grabbed his shirt as he listened to the commotion, and he immediately knew what was going on. Antonia was digging her fingernails into his shirt as the door swung open and Temperance came barreling inside, the guard standing behind her was protesting.

"My child is in here… I gave you the purse, I'm not going to hurt anyone, just let me get to my child!" She shouted, slamming her way into the room, she slammed the door on the guard as Sweets came out of the observation room and announced that her presence was fine, that as long as they were observed, it would be fine. It was that moment that Temperance and Booth came face to face for the first time, really face to face.

He stood across the room, Antonia's hands grasping hold of him as she looked up at what she expected to be a stranger in the room, but instead found it to be her mother standing there, breathing heavily as she stared into his eyes. "Bones." He said, his voice familiar, his eyes begging for forgiveness and he had hardly said a word. She had been waiting years for this moment, years that she thought were wasted on the memories of someone she had loved and lost, and this moment was filled with such uncertainty and tension, it was nearly impossible to know what was going to happen next.

"Did you tell her?" She asked, the tone of her voice told him nothing. He wasn't sure if he should have answered the little girl's question, or left it hanging in the air.

"Bones." He shook his head.

"Did you tell her?" She asked again, insistent, she was tempted to step forward and pull her daughter from his arms. Not because she didn't trust him, or because she felt that she needed to claim her, but because right there, at that moment, she needed someone to hold her, and she wasn't sure if she could do this without that support. "Booth, answer me."

"I didn't tell her anything." He admitted, watching Temperance's eyes darken slightly. He had no idea what it meant, he had no idea how to read her at this moment, he was out of practice, so he stood, holding the little girl in his arms, knowing full well that Temperance wanted to grab the little girl and run. "Bones, I would never…"

"No." She interrupted him, crossing her arms over her chest she watched the little girl look up at her mother, her lips were pursed and she wasn't scared, but she wasn't exactly comfortable either. "I need you to tell her."

"Bones, this… she can't… Bones…"

"No." She shook her head. "She needs this, Booth." She said, uncrossing her arms as she watched the little girl become nervous at her mother's stern stance, she knew she had to relax. "She needs you to tell her the answer to her question."

"Bones, this isn't the time to…"

"There will never be a time better than this moment right here, right now." She said, walking toward them, she passed them and sat down at the small table. "Baby…" She said, watching Antonia turn her head to look at her mother. She looked to Booth, who nodded softly and let the little girl to the floor. She ran to her mother, and let her pull her into her arms, her tiny hands gripping her mother's shirt now. "Sit down, please." She whispered to Booth, indicating the chair beside them.

Booth stepped over to the table, watching Temperance's eyes the entire time. He timidly sat down across from her and for several moments, they did nothing but look at one another. Her eyes were filled with curiosity, fear, and confusion, whereas his were just filled with fear. As soon as his hand touched the table, she reached out for it, and his eyes fell to her hand. He let out a slight gasp at the cuts across her knuckles and with his eyes asked her the questions that she knew he would have. "It was nothing." She whispered. "It was a stupid moment where I thought I could fix things if I shouted loudly enough."

"Are you alright?" He whispered.

"I am getting through this." She replied. "Your letters helped." She whispered. "The box… it helped… and you were right, I was ready. I had to be ready… I can't…" She whispered, burying her nose in her daughter's hair, she breathed in deeply as the tears pooled in her eyes. "I can't… not tell her, Booth." She said, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a folded envelope and slid it across the table to him. He lifted it up and immediately recognized it.

"Bones…" He shook his head.

"You need to tell her." She whispered.

"Bones… I can't… just… that's not fair to you."

"I'm not asking you to do this, Booth. I'm telling you to do this. Please?"

"Bones."

"No!" She exclaimed, knowing that she shouldn't have said it so loudly, her daughter's fingers were now digging into her skin as she whimpered. "You wrote this letter with the intention of having her know the truth, Booth. You wrote this letter knowing that she was going to know eventually. She's afraid, she's so afraid, and she trusts you, she loves you so much. Give her this one little bit of yourself. You have earned the right to give her this part of you, you have earned that right. So either tell her the truth yourself, or I will open that letter and read it to her, in front of you. Do you want to be the one to tell her the truth, or do you want me to be the one? Because neither one of us are leaving this room until she knows the answer to her question!" She exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks as Antonia continued to cling to her, her eyes burning into those of the man across from them, her lips trembling as she too attempted to hold back her tears. "Please, Booth." She whispered desperately. "Please?" She whispered as Antonia slipped her hands from her grip on her mother's shirt and situated herself on her lap so that she was now facing the man who sat beside them.

"Bones, I don't… she… is…" He stammered, looking from mother to daughter.

"Tell her, Booth."

"Toni." He said, watching the dark brown eyes of the little girl stare back at him, he flashed his eyes to her mother, whose eyes were determined and strong. "Toni… do you remember that day… not too long ago… I was at Oompa's with you." He whispered. "And mommy came back…" He whispered, watching her nod her head. "Remember… I couldn't get out of the room… and I had to hurry and hide under the bed?" He said, watching Temperance's eyes widen slightly. He watched her for a moment and she furrowed her brow. "You want to know everything, right?" He whispered.

"Yes." She whispered, holding the little girl just a little tighter in her arms. "I want to know everything." She said softly.

He allowed his eyes to focus on the little girl's for a moment, and he watched the intent stare that she had on him. "Well… wait… I'll start in a… in a different place…" He whispered. "Do you remember what I told you about your mama and me?" He whispered. "Do you remember what I told you?" He whispered, watching her nod her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What did I tell you?" He asked, tipping his head. "It's okay, baby… I'm not invisible anymore." He said, his eyes moving to Temperance, he saw that she understood, and then his focus moved back to Antonia. "What did I tell you about your mama and me?"

"You said…" She started, swallowing hard. "You said that mama was your partner." She whispered.

"Yeah." He said, nodding his head. "What else did I say about your mama?"

"You said…" Antonia swallowed again, taking a slow deep breath, she kept her eyes focused on his, never faltering as she practically read the words from his eyes. "You said mama is brave."

"I did… and what else?"

"That… you said that… mama… is beautiful…"

"Yep, that's right… I said she's the smartest, strongest, bravest, most kind… most beautiful, loving, caring person that I ever met…" He said, his eyes still focused on the little girl. "Do you remember what you talked about with your Mama when I was hiding under that bed?" He whispered, reaching forward to her, she followed his hand. His eyes moved to Temperance's and he watched her nod in understanding of what he was doing. He touched the tiny medal on the chain around her neck. "Do you remember?"

"Um…" She shrugged, watching Booth's hand on the tiny medal at her neck, her eyes rose to meet his.

"My daddy." She whispered.

"That's right."

"My daddy is in heaven." She whispered.

"Your daddy is not in heaven." Temperance said suddenly, leaning forward, her voice whispering from her lips and into her daughter's ear.

"Mama?" She whispered, looking at her mother curiously, she seemed so confused.

"Your daddy was never in heaven, Antonia… he was just… invisible for a while." Temperance said, focusing on Booth's eyes as he stared directly into hers, transferring all of the warmth, and all of the love that he could through that three feet of air that separated them.

"Invisible?" Antonia's voice broke the moment in half, sending both adult's eyes to the little girl. "My daddy was invisible?"

"Booth… tell Antonia what your first name is." Temperance whispered. "Please?"

"Toni…" He said, his eyes on Temperance's for a moment, his hand reaching out to the little girl for her to take it. She slipped carefully from her mother's lap and took a step toward Booth in an almost apprehensive way, her eyes moving to her mother as if she were asking for permission. "You want to know my first name?" He whispered, watching the little girl's stern nod as she looked as if she were about to tell the adults to stop playing this game and just tell her the truth. The look was very much her mother's look, and Booth smiled when her brow furrowed.

"Deuce?"

"My first name… is daddy." His voice whispered, echoing in the mind of all three people in the room. He swore that he heard his voice crack when he said the word, but Antonia didn't notice. She took a step back, and Booth thought for a moment that his heart would break when her eyes opened wide, and her mouth opened a bit.

"No…" She whimpered, looking to her mother, she didn't know what to think. Temperance could see the fear in her daughter's eyes, she could see that Booth was absolutely terrified of the reaction, and she wanted to reach out to take his hand.

"It's true, baby."

"No… no…" Antonia shook her head. "No… my daddy is in heaven…" She whispered. "Deuce, you said so…"

"I never said your daddy was in heaven." He said, shaking his head. "I never said that." He whispered, leaning down closer to her level, he cringed at the pressure put on his ribs, but he needed to make sure she understood his stance. "I told you what heaven was… you asked if your daddy was in heaven, and I never, ever said that it was true."

"Mama?" She whispered, turning to Temperance, who looked as if she were about to cry, the exchange could have gone much worse, but right now all she had was a very confused little girl.

"Listen to me…" Temperance whispered as she looked into her daughter's eyes, lifting her hands to her daughter's face, she stared directly into their deep brown depths. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about your daddy, Antonia…" She whispered. "He is the bravest man I have ever met… he is kind and loving… caring and giving… he is a protector, Antonia. Do you understand? Who has always been your protector other than mommy? Who is always there for you? Who loves you more than words could ever express? Who saved you, baby? Who was there when Mommy was trying to find you? Who was there, Antonia?"

"Deuce." She whispered.

"Then doesn't it make sense… that he loves you? Doesn't it make sense that he's a part of you… Doesn't it make sense that your daddy would be the one to do those things for you, because he did those things for me? Doesn't it make sense that when I look into your eyes, all I see is him?" She whispered, pointing toward Booth. "Doesn't it make sense?" She asked, turning the little girl around in her arms, they faced the man who was now sitting up in the chair staring back at them, his eyes filled with terror and sadness. "Look at him right now, baby girl… the way he looks at you… the way he hugs you and holds you, the way he protects you… you tell me that it isn't true… tell me he isn't your daddy."

She stared into Booth's eyes for what seemed like forever for him, those tiny brown eyes watching him with such confusion. He watched as they lightened, tiny tears entering the corners of her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Daddy?" She whispered, waiting for a cue, a moment, a feeling… she didn't know, but when he held up his hand to her, and that look of truth passed across his features, she stepped forward so quickly that she nearly tackled him to the ground. "Daddy!" She screamed, hearing the grunt of pain from the man who was beneath her tiny body, gasping for air but asking for no help, as both of them began to cry. Temperance watched for several seconds, the sound of her daughter's crying breaking her heart as she watched the tears rolling down Booth's cheeks. She did the only thing she could think to do. She slowly stood up and walked to their side, wrapping her arms around both of them, as she too began to cry.


	18. Forgive And Forget

**Update 18- Forgive And Forget**

Temperance held them both tightly in her arms for several minutes, the three of them allowing their tears to flow freely as they all tried to recover from this stressful and highly emotional moment between the three of them. The little girl was now sniffling against Booth, and Temperance caught his eye as he looked up, and she slowly and reluctantly pulled from the hug. He reached for her hand, grabbing it in his own as he looked up at her standing above him and Antonia. "I need to talk to you without an audience." He whispered, referring to the mirrors. "I need to talk to you."

"We will talk." She promised.

"Bones." He whispered. "No, I'm tired of…"

"I know." She said, slipping her hand from his, she ran her hand along his cheek, her fingers tickling his jaw line. "I know." She said again, feeling his arm stretch around her, reached her arms around him and hugged him, really hugged him for the first time after all of this time. She rested her cheek on the top of his head as she felt his arms around her, he loosed his hold and let her kneel slowly beside him and Antonia. "Let me see if… let me see if Sweets can get us a conference room or office or something. Will the guards let you be alone with me like that?"

"I'm not a violent criminal, Bones. I think they'll let us talk." He nodded, glancing toward the door. "Go ask if… if you can get a room or something. I really need to talk to you." He whispered.

"Will you be okay here?" She whispered to the little girl, as she wiped her tear streaked cheeks with her hand, she nodded her head at her mother, her grip still tightly on Booth's shirt. "I'll be right back." She said, leaning up, she left a soft, tender kiss on Booth's cheek, her eyes following his as she stood up, stepping backwards toward the door, she glanced to Antonia, who was watching her mother and Booth very closely.

-----

Temperance stepped out into the hallway slowly. The look on her face was serious and stern, looking as if there had been no emotional scene in the next room just moments before, and as soon as she saw Sweets, she glared in his direction. "What the hell was that?" She asked, trying not to raise her voice. "Who the hell do you think you are? You… you set me up!" She exclaimed, glancing to the room.

"I didn't set you up, Doctor Brennan." He said nervously, taking a step back as she approached him quickly, her shoes clacking against the floor in an angry glissando.

"You arranged all of this! You arranged this with him, so that he would see her!" She said angrily. "I do not like surprises like this, Doctor Sweets! I do not like to be pushed into situations! I do…"

"Doctor Brennan, stop!" He exclaimed as he realized that he could no longer take any more steps back, he had done so much to maintain his control over them, but her attitude now was making him feel inferior, and he needed to stop that feeling immediately, or else she'd take control, though it was then that he realized that she had him up against a wall, quite literally.

"Don't you tell me to stop! Don't you dare tell me to stop! This was not my idea of therapy!"

"But she was talking!" He said, trying to maintain his control, and control of the situation.

"Yes! Yes, she was talking, but you manipulated me! You manipulated my child! You manipulated him!" She said, pointing at the door. "You owe me, Doctor Sweets! You owe me big!" She exclaimed. She had a look in her eyes that just screamed the anger out at Doctor Sweets, and he knew that if he didn't do what she needed right now, then all of the work that he had done up until this point could be in vain. If she didn't trust him, then he wasn't going to be her psychologist, this much he knew, and she could very well go back to the way she had been acting before, and that was enough to make him nervous.

"What do you want from me?" Sweets asked, watching the anthropologist glare at him, her stare was so cold and so angry, that he was almost afraid that she would hit him if given the chance. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I want a private room…" She growled. "I want a private room, with no cameras, no listening devices… just a room with four walls and two chairs… and I want it in fifteen minutes. You talk with the guards… the people that run this place, and you get me a room to talk to Booth, and we'll be even, you got that?" She said angrily.

"A room?"

"You heard me, Sweets!" She exclaimed, watching the doctor nod his head in agreement.

"A room…" He said, sliding out from in front of her, he took off to find an administrator.

Temperance watched the psychologist take off down the hallway and couldn't help but allow a slight satisfied grin cross her lips. She straightened herself a bit, and took a slow, deep breath, as she then walked quickly and purposefully back to the observation room to Booth and her daughter's side.

---------

She stepped into the room silently, noticing that father and daughter had settled in the corner on a chair with a book in their hands, Booth's voice filling the room as he narrated the words. Neither looked up at her entrance, and she thought for a moment that she had entered unnoticed, then his eyes lifted to hers, and said just a simple word. Well, it was a simple word to just about anyone, but to them, it was an indication of their connection. "Hey."

"Hey." She replied, trying to figure out what to do with her hands, she crossed them over her chest at first, then dropped them to her side, she figured out what to do when he held out his hand to her. She stepped closer to them, and held her hand out to meet his, and their eyes remained locked for a moment. "Sweets is getting us a room to talk." She felt him tug on her arm just a little, and she let him pull her to him, she ended up with her arm around his shoulder, his arm around her waist and she rested her head on his as she looked down at the book. "What are you reading?" She whispered.

"The Giving Tree." He whispered. "It's one of Antonia's favorite books." He said in a whisper.

"You read stories to her?" She whispered, lifting her eyebrows as her eyes filled with tears, she looked down at him as he cautiously nodded.

Antonia watched the conversation between the two adults silently. She wasn't frightened or cautious, just extremely curious. This was the first time she had ever seen her mother interact with anyone like this, and it was almost as if she could feel the tension in the air, feel the electricity tingling her skin. Her eyes were on Booth and her mother, and she didn't know what to say or do, because it seemed to her as if they were doing all of the talking, and that there was no room for interruption. She glanced down at the book and ran her finger over the drawings, waiting patiently for him to finish the book, or close it.

"We have a lot to talk about, Temperance." He whispered, feeling a gentle kiss on his head, he looked up into her eyes again.

"I missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you." He said softly in return, glancing over across the room, he watched the door open slowly as Sweets stepped inside. Booth could sense Temperance's stance change as the doctor entered the room, and he could feel the anxiety coursing through her as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Sweets." Booth said, trying to maintain as bright as he could under the circumstances, especially with Antonia in his arms.

"I was able to find a room… a lounge… they'll allow you to talk for a little while." He said, watching Temperance nod. "I can take you and Antonia there first, and then the guards will…"

"I'd prefer it if you were able to take Antonia for a few minutes, if that would be alright with you." Temperance said. It wasn't a question, more of a demand, and Booth was surprised by the tone she had taken, but from the reaction Sweets was giving her, he could see that there was no way that she was not going to get her way. Without waiting for an answer, Temperance walked in front of Booth and Antonia, crouching down to her daughter's level as Booth pulled the book away, she reached her hand up to smooth back her daughter's dark hair. Her brown eyes were staring into her mother's curiously. "Sweetheart, would it be okay if…" She paused for a moment, unsure what she should say at this point. Booth reached for her hand, taking it softly, her eyes flashed to his.

"Deuce is okay, Bones." He whispered. "We don't have to confuse her."

"But…"

"It's okay, it's new… we'll work on it." He said, carefully rubbing the little girl's back as she watched her mother's eyes carefully as they moved back to her.

"Would it be okay if Deuce… and I had a talk alone? Doctor Sweets said that he'd make sure that you knew right where we were if you needed us, and he would come get me if you need anything. You like Doctor Sweets, don't you?"

"They're pretty close in age", Booth joked in a low voice, noticing the humored look that Temperance gave him, it was full of graciousness of the normalcy of the comment. The little girl didn't understand the joke, but noticed that both Booth and her mother were smiling, and that made her feel much more comfortable. "Toni, you and Doctor Sweets stay here… and me and your mama are going to go talk, okay? We will be right down the hallway, and if you need us… you just tell him, and he'll make sure that you find your way there, okay?"

The little girl nodded her head cautiously as Booth very carefully stood up with her, Temperance standing beside him. He walked over to Sweets and very carefully lifted the little girl into his arms. "I want to be able to say goodbye to her before they leave." Booth whispered.

"I'll ensure that you can." Sweets said as he awkwardly held the little girl in his arms as Booth held out his fist to the little girl, who bumped it with her own and leaned in as booth left a soft kiss on her cheek.

"You be a good girl for Sweets." Booth said as he glanced to Temperance.

She stepped forward and kissed her little girl's cheek, running her finger over her daughter's forehead, she leaned in and kissed a spot there as well. "Sweets will take good care of you, baby… I love you so much."

"I love you, Mommy." She whispered, watching Temperance's face light up. Her daughter was looking in her eyes and speaking to her directly, she was there, and she was alive, and now her words were reaching out to her mother, who in a moment of surprise, pulled the girl from Sweets arms and into her own as she hugged the little girl tightly. "Ugh!" She exclaimed, and then a giggle. "Mama, you're squishing me!" She exclaimed as Temperance kissed her cheek again and again, whispering how much she loved the little girl, as the two men watched on in a delicate silence, enjoying the moment before Temperance gained her composure again, clearing her throat, Antonia's head was rested on her mother's shoulder as she hugged her tightly.

"You're always a good girl." Temperance whispered. "You're always a good girl…" She said as Antonia sat up and looked into her mother's eyes. "You'll see mama and Deuce really soon, okay?" She felt the little girl's nod as she turned and lifted her into Sweets' arms with a peck on the cheek for the little girl. "I love you, baby… your… your daddy loves you." She whispered as she reached over to grab Booth's hand, as they walked toward the door with a sweet wave.

The little girl waved to her mother and father, and though a bit concerned, she looked into the eyes of the psychologist as he turned her from the door and sent one eyebrow skyward as she gave him a suspicious look. "How old are you?" She asked curiously, as Sweets just laughed and sat the little girl down in one of the chairs, preparing himself for a very long babysitting session.

As soon as Booth stepped out into the hallway, the guard reached for him, and put the handcuffs on his hands. Temperance looked so nervous that Booth could feel the anxiety. "It's okay, Bones."

"They shouldn't make you wear those, you're not a criminal." She whispered, as they escorted them both down the hallway.

"Then why… don't you just hook your arm in mine… and we'll just forget about the handcuffs for the time being?" He asked with a hopeful smile, whispering so that the guard wouldn't hear. Without word, she nodded slowly, a slight smile on her lips as she took his arm, and Booth and Temperance walked together down the hallway toward the privacy that they so desperately desired and needed in order to make it to the next step, even if one of them was bound by handcuffs.


	19. Secrets Revealed

**Update 19- Secrets Revealed**

The door opened to the small lounge, and Temperance walked in first. She looked at the set up of the room, a small couch, a tiny table and two chairs, a microwave in the corner next to a sink, a tiny refrigerator. There were magazines on the counter, a small trash can, and that was it. She couldn't watch the guards removing the handcuffs, and for a moment wasn't even sure she could look up at him. She had gotten so used to talking to him as an inanimate object, that she wasn't sure she could talk to him as a person just yet. He remained quiet as the door closed behind the guard, and he stood watching her for a moment. He could see that she was tired, exhausted. She looked like she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. Her shoulders were slumped, her head down, and he could feel his stomach knotting nervously. He wanted to sit down, sit down with her and talk. He needed to talk to her, and this was first chance that he would have. There was so much to tell her, and such a little amount of time, that he wasn't sure if he wanted to spend it talking, or just watching her.

In one fluid movement, however, his decision was made, because before a word could be uttered, she had turned from her stance beside the small table and her arms wrapped around his waist, her head on his chest, as she held him tightly in her arms. He could feel the sharp pain in his ribs, the way her arm pressed against the wound at his hip and there were many other muscles that were far too tender to be poked or prodded, but right now, he didn't care. She could squeeze as hard as she could, she could break his bones, crush him if she wanted to, because he was finally able to hold her. His arms wrapped around her, and he found his lips on her head, his cheek resting on her as he listened to her try to hold back the tears.

"It's okay, Bones." He whispered tenderly. "It's alright." He could hear her taking short, shallow breaths as she tried to control her breathing. "Let it out… let it out…" He whispered, trying so hard to remain strong, he could feel his resolve cracking. Her hands suddenly loosened, and she pushed herself back slightly as she stared at his chest, her hands resting on the black t-shirt that he wore, and her fingers pressed into the fabric, feeling the muscle beneath.

"When…" She sniffled, wiping her stray tear with her sleeve, her eyes still trained on his chest. "When I was able to go… go to your apartment." She whispered, her eyebrows rose as she smacked her lips a bit, chewing her bottom lip, she tilted her head and traced her fingers in patterns on his shirt. "I… would… sleep in your bed." She whispered. "I would… sleep in your t-shirts, your dress shirts… for the longest time, I just… I needed to be surrounded by you, and maybe it's stupid."

"Bones."

"Maybe…" She said, pushing her finger into his chest a little harder to make the point that she wasn't finished. "Maybe it's stupid… but I just felt that you were still here, you know?" She whispered, finally lifting her eyes to meet his, they were crystal blue, shining with unshed tears, and curious, with a bit of hurt within them. "So… when I was able to…" She cleared her throat, and moved her eyes back to his chest. "Straighten myself out… think clearer… get out of bed…" She sighed. "I packed up all of your clothes, except for one or two t-shirts, and a couple pairs of socks. I boxed up your ties, your shoes… all of your dress shirts, jackets… and I packed them all away in the closet… I couldn't see throwing them out, giving them away, letting someone else have your things. I wanted your things… I wanted you." She whispered.

She sighed, standing there, facing him bravely, her eyes lifting again to his as she lifted both of her hands to his face. She cradled his face in her hands and felt his hands rest on her waist as he waited for her to say whatever it was she had to say. "I'm waiting." She whispered.

His head tilted in her hands, his brow furrowing in confusion as he watched her eyebrows rise questioningly. He wasn't sure what to say, he wasn't sure what she expected, what she wanted. "Bones? You're waiting?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"What are you waiting for?"

"You said that there was something very important for us to discuss." She whispered.

"When did I…?" He asked innocently, his eyes widening as he took a sharp intake of breath, he felt her hands slip down his face and rest on his chest, her eyes following them as she brought them back to where they belonged, right back to his. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"You did." She nodded.

"And you haven't forgotten?" He whispered, a quirk of a smile at the corner of his lips he watched her lovingly.

"No." She replied. "I've been waiting… wondering… dreaming." She shrugged. "Now I can ask you… what did you want to discuss?"

And with those simple words, she felt his hands on her face. They were rough to the touch, but so tender in their approach, and very tenderly, he allowed his thumbs to move across her soft skin. He watched her eyes flicker to his lips, and he couldn't help but smile. "I love you." He whispered, and he couldn't help but see the words reflecting back to him in her eyes. "I have waited such a long time to tell you that. I have waited so long to…" She lifted her finger to his lips, instantly silencing him as she leaned closer to him, her eyes closing as he smiled, his smile moving forward as her finger moved from his lips, her hands landing on his waist gently as she allowed him to tilt her head and close the gap between them.

The kiss was slow at first as they explored one another's lips and mouths with their tongues gliding over teeth and lips, delicately massaging themselves together as he pulled her closer to him, taking a deep breath through his nose, he couldn't help the deep throated moan that escaped his lips as her arms wrapped around him, her hands resting on his back as she tenderly pulled him farther into her.

The electricity in the kiss was overwhelming, and it seemed that no matter how much air they tried to take in, they just became dizzier with each second. Her skin felt hot beneath his touch, and her fingers kneaded the skin of his back through his shirt, and it took all of the willpower that she had to pull her lips from his, but she knew that if she didn't, she would collapse from lack of oxygen. He groaned in disappointment as she separated their lips, his hands still cradling her head, their foreheads together as she allowed a bright smile to light up her face. "If we don't stop now…" She whispered, attempting to catch her breath.

"I know." He whispered, letting his thumb run across her cheek tenderly as he dropped his hands and pulled her into a hug, breathing in her scent, he smiled tenderly against her. "I missed you." He whispered.

"I missed you." She whispered back, trying to hold back her tears, she knew that she couldn't. She buried her head in his shoulder and let him hold her as she began to cry.

"Aw, Bones…" he whispered. "I'm here, Bones… I'm here… I'm right here… please don't cry, please? Please don't cry, baby." He whispered. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry." He whispered as he held her. "Here…" He said softly as he kissed her head, she pulled from his embrace reluctantly and followed him toward the couch, where he was leading them to. She held his hand as he carefully sat down, and she looked to the spot beside him for just a split second before he tugged her toward him.

"Your injuries." She whispered, wiping her tears, she resisted a bit.

"I don't care… I want you here." He said, patting his lap, he pulled her arm again. "I want you against me."

"Booth."

"Stop arguing with me… we don't have a lot of time." He whispered, pulling at her again, she tumbled onto his lap, to which he cringed in pain, and she gasped as she tried to get up, but he held her against him. "Just… sit still…" He whispered. "It'll go away…" He whispered.

"I don't want to…"

"Stop worrying about me." He sucked in a deep breath, opening his eyes he turned his eyes to her as he released it slowly. "Okay… okay…" He said, taking another deep breath he released it. "Just… pain management." He whispered.

"I shouldn't…"

"It's fine, Bones…" he said, his arm around her, he pulled her into him and grunted a bit in pain, but it passed quickly. She rested her head on his shoulder, his arm holding her securely as she rested her back on the arm of the couch. "I'm just going to kick Ace's ass when I get out of here, for shooting me."

"He saved your life." She whispered.

"That doesn't mean I can't hold it against him, does it?"

"I suppose not." She whispered. He held her for a long time, his fingers running through her hair as she sat thoughtfully against him, their breathing settled in a rhythmic pattern as they just held one another. "Booth?" She whispered.

"Hmm?" He whispered into her hair, his fingers dancing through the strands delicately.

"I was going to come see you later this week… in Maryland."

"Are you still visiting me later this week?" He asked, his voice low as she nodded her head against him.

"It's not a… I was going to…" She stopped, and he heard a slight whimper slip from her lips. "I don't want you to panic." She said, looking up at him, she met her eyes with his and she could see with just those words, he had begun to panic. "Booth…"

"You can't say 'I don't want you to panic' and not expect panic, Bones."

"Just… hear me out, okay?" She said, watching his eyes become very concerned suddenly as he concentrated on her. She felt horrible for making him worry, but she knew that what she had to tell him was very important. "Please… don't get upset."

"Bones." He said calmly.

"I was going to come see you… before we left."

"Before who left?" He whispered, his voice taking on a suspicious tone.

"Antonia and I." She whispered. "I am taking Antonia away for a little while, Booth." She whispered.


	20. One Of These Days

**Update 20- One of These Days**

If eyes could show a broken heart, she was sure that she could see his heart being crushed in his eyes. His mouth opened slightly, and his eyes widened, but no words were spoken until she had realized what she had said. "Wait… I… we're just… I'm taking her on a trip, Booth." She said quickly, hoping that she could erase the pain in his eyes that she had caused. "A vacation… it's a vacation." She said, watching his eyes close tightly for a second and open as the tears began to disappear.

"A vacation?" He managed to choke out.

"It's just a vacation, a trip… just to get… out of the house, and away from everything for a week or two."

"A week or two?" His voice sounded relieved as he took slow, deep breaths.

"Yes." Temperance nodded. "Just a week or two… Antonia and I… I'm..."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I…haven't decided yet." She said, looking away from him, she looked down at her hands. She then leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You haven't decided yet?" He said, his voice had a nearly incredulous tone, and she still had yet to look up at him. "I don't understand. Where are you taking her, Bones?"

"I have many options, and I am unsure of which option I'd like to take."

"You're taking a child on a trip somewhere, and you don't know where… is your father going?"

"No. I don't need my father there, Booth." She said, looking up at him. "I will be fine."

"I don't like this." He shook his head. "I don't like this at all." He said, his voice taking on a very serious tone, she was looking into his eyes, as he focused on hers.

"You don't get a choice in this, Booth." She said, almost harshly, she watched the hurt in his eyes return. "I will call you."

"You'll call?"

"Yes."

"And you'll tell me where you are?"

"No."

"Bones?" He said, watching the serious look in her eyes, a look that previously told him not to argue, but this was something far too important for him not to argue. "Bones, you need to tell me where you are."

"Why?"

"So that I don't worry."

"You're going to send Harding after me."

"Ace can't leave Washington, Bones… not until he's been cleared. I trust you to take care of yourself, to take care of Antonia." He said sincerely. "I would just feel better… knowing where you are." He said, watching her eyes follow his. "Promise me you'll call me when you get to wherever you're going." He whispered. "Promise me."

She hesitated for just a moment, knowing that her destination wasn't going to be a secret from him for long anyway, and there was no reason once she reached her destination to keep it from him any longer. She nodded lightly, looking him directly in the eyes. "I promise I'll tell you where we are." She whispered.

He didn't know what else to say at that moment, or what to do. He had no choice in the matter, and it was killing him to know that she was going to just leave for an unspecified amount of time to an unspecified place. It hurt him to know that she was being secretive, that she was doing things behind his back, being manipulative and cruel, taking his little girl away from him without so much as to a clue of where. His brow was furrowed as he worked through the thoughts in his mind, and he hadn't realized that she was staring at him. "I'm thinking about Minnesota." She whispered. "I have family there… but… California is an option… Yellowstone… We could go to Maine, Antonia loves the ocean, we could just go to…" She said, watching his eyes meet hers intensely. "I don't know where to go." She whispered.

"You just want to get away."

"Yes." She nodded, her admission was soft, but sincere, and he could see that she felt bad that she didn't have an answer for him. "Perhaps I'll know by Saturday." She whispered. "The day we're leaving." She shrugged, giving him a playful smile.

"That might be a good idea… you know, since… that's the day you're leaving." He said with a matching smile, he began to feel much more comfortable, though still wary. "Is that the day you'll be visiting?"

"We'll be in Baltimore in the morning, and if we're flying, we'll fly from there. If we're driving, we'll go from there. I was going to arrange to see you in the family visiting room, so that you could see Antonia." She whispered.

"I would like that." He replied, leaning down to kiss her head. "I would like that very much." Their attention was suddenly brought to the door, where there was a loud knock.

"Five minutes, Booth." The guard barked through the wooden door, as Temperance tensed in his arms.

"I love you." He whispered, kissing her hair, breathing her scent in through his nostrils, trying desperately to memorize it.

"Booth?" She whispered back, the sound of his name on her lips making him tense a bit as he waited for her to continue. "I love you." She said, shifting a bit in his arms, he turned his head and leaned in, his eyes closing slowly as she tilted her head toward his, her eyes already closed as they ignited that spark once again.

The kiss was so sweet and tentative, like tasting something new, something decadent, something soft and velvety and coveted. Temperance pressed her hand to his chest, and felt his heart beating beneath her fingertips, only to have his hand reach up and cover hers, the kiss continuing slowly, completely. Her tongue tasted his lips, running slowly along his bottom lip, she allowed a slight whimper to escape her lips as tears came to her eyes. She tried to control the rushing emotions that were making her react this way. She gasped a bit against his lips, and he brought his hand to her cheek, gently pulling her lips from his, he looked into her eyes. He could see that she was crying while she kissed him, and his brow furrowed in concern, but she lifted her hand and touched his against her face, without a word, and continued to suckle at his lower lip, even as her tears rolled down her cheeks.

He wanted to stop her, concerned that the moment between them might be too emotional, but he could tell that she wasn't going to stop for emotions, she wasn't going to stop for anything if she didn't want to, and with that thought, he smiled against her lips as he continued to accept the sweet caresses of her tongue against his own, as she brought their hands back to his chest. He could feel a sharp pain in his side, from sitting in the same position too long, his ribs aching a bit, and he shifted a bit, breaking the kiss reluctantly, he rested his forehead against hers.

Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her eyes were red from her tears, but still she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She tried to control her tears, a sweet smile rising on her lips as she watched his eyes sparkle. "Thank you for the gifts." He whispered, watching a bit of confusion, before recognition of his words. "They have made my days easier… my nights a little less lonely."

"I'm sorry about the state that the shirts are in, I… may have worn them a lot more than I thought I had."

"No, no…" He said, a smile on his lips, he shook his head. "It's fine… it's perfect. They smell like you. I like that." He paused as his face became serious, and she watched him carefully as his mind searched for the words to say. "Why did you give me Jasper… and brainy smurf?" He whispered, as if the thought had been on his mind since he had opened the box.

"I just…" She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "You gave me both of them… when I was having a hard time, when I needed someone to give me a little boost, you know? You gave them to me when I needed someone to care, you cared… and I just wanted to… I needed… I needed to just remind you of what a great guy you are, what a great person, friend. I didn't want you to forget, I wanted you to know that I didn't forget." She whispered. "I didn't hide them because I wanted to forget, Booth." She whispered, shaking her head. "I did it because I couldn't forget."

"I know, Bones." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her, she hugged him as tightly as she could without hurting him. "I know." He said again, as another knock came on the door, and it opened slowly, the guard catching Booth's eye.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered, her lower lip protruding into the slightest pout, her eyes wide as she swallowed hard.

"I know. I don't want you to go either." He whispered, his eye catching that of the guard again, who was waiting patiently, trying not to watch them for a moment. "Joe is getting impatient." He said, referring to the guard who was waiting on them, she glanced over to him, and though he tried not to look to them, the attention was on him, so he nodded.

"Ma'am."

"You know your guard?" She asked, carefully pulling herself from Booth's lap, she watched him cringe as she attempted to stand without hurting him.

"Joe and I talk… he's a good guy… he has two kids, one is about Antonia's age." Booth said as he took her arm and let her help him up. He walked toward the younger man and held his arms behind his back for the handcuffs to be put on his wrists. "Joe, this is Doctor Temperance Brennan…"

"Ma'am." He nodded his head and shook her hand. "Booth talks the world of you."

Temperance approached him and glanced over toward the guard. "Thank you for taking good care of him, Joe." She whispered, her eyes flashing to Booth as he watched her with a sly grin.

"It's a pleasure, he's a good guy."

"I agree with you, wholeheartedly." She said, nodding her head as they headed back down the hallway toward the room with Sweets and Antonia. "So we'll see you on Saturday." She said, watching Booth nod, he glanced to Joe, indicating that he needed a second. He stopped and turned his head, allowing as much privacy as possible in the open hallway.

"Actually… I need something from you." He whispered.

"What?"

"I need an interview done, with Antonia… it needs to be done before you go, so that Caroline can get everything going on my case. She's talking a little now, and I hate to ask her to do this, but…"

"Booth. I don't think she's ready." She whispered.

"Can we at least ask her?" He whispered. "I can be there… help her through it, and if it gets to be too much, we'll stop. I promise. I don't want to hurt her, but I need this."

"I will think about it." She nodded.

"Before you leave?" He asked, watching her nod solemnly, as he turned back toward the hallway with Joe, and walked down the hallway, he relaxed as he felt her wrap her arm around his, and walk the rest of the way down the hallway.

They walked into the room and the face of the little girl brightened immediately. She leapt from her chair and ran toward the two adults, as Booth's handcuffs were removed quickly without her even noticing. He let her smash into him hard, Temperance's hand moving to his arm to steady him as she watched a wave of pain hit him. "Booth…"

"It's fine." He grunted as he peeled the little girl's arms from his legs and pulled her up into his arms, with a bit of help from Temperance. "There's my little girl." He said as he took a deep breath.

"Baby, be careful with Deuce, he still has some booboos…"

"Oh!" She exclaimed, looking to her mother, her hand swung around and touched his face as she pressed her forehead against his. "I'm sorry…" She whispered.

"It's okay, baby girl… it's okay…" He said, kissing her cheek as he took a step forward with her. "Thank you, Sweets." He said, holding his hand out to the psychologist, who had stood up and waited for a moment.

"It's no problem, Booth." He said, shaking his hand firmly, he nodded. "No problem at all. I'll let you guys say goodbye, and we'll talk soon."

"Sounds good." Booth nodded as he glanced to Antonia. "Say bye bye to Doctor Sweets, Toni…"

"Bye, Sweetie." She said with a bright smile, waving her hand as she wiggled her fingers in a wave.

Sweets' cheeks blushed as he took a step back. "Bye, Antonia." He said, turning to Temperance, he held out his hand. "I trust that your reunion went well." He said, glancing to Booth, who was tickling Antonia and talking to her in a low voice.

"It was fine, Doctor Sweets. I appreciate you allowing us to have that time alone, and I trust that Antonia was well behaved?"

"She was very well behaved. She's a very sweet little girl." He said with a kind smile.

"When Booth is done saying goodbye, do you think that you and I could have a word? Booth needs Antonia to be interviewed about the incident, and I'm not sure that it's a good idea right now, if she's ready. I don't want to push her into anything." She whispered softly.

"We can talk, talk to Antonia, and see what she thinks…call me this evening." Sweets nodded as he glanced to Booth and Antonia one more time. "I can be there too, if you need me… just let me know, and I'll work out my schedule."

"Thank you, Sweets." She nodded, smiling as the Doctor quietly excused himself. Temperance stood a few feet from Booth and Antonia, and watched their interaction for a moment, the quiet whispers and giggles of the little girl, and the happy smile on Booth's face, she felt guilty for having to break up the reunion. Now that she had him here, both of them here, she didn't want to let go. She knew that she'd have to tread very carefully in the next few minutes, if she wanted to get her daughter out of that room without another traumatic experience.

"Hey…" Booth said as he walked to Temperance and tried to remain upbeat. He could read her apprehension in her face, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. "Why don't you take mommy home, and show her our secret sticker book." He said, noticing the little girl's grip start to tighten on his arm, he pulled her to stand her on the tabletop again. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I can't." She whispered, loud enough for Temperance to hear.

"Why not?"

"Cuz that's our sticker book."

"Well, yeah… it is… but that's when we were invisible… now that we're not…" he said, giving her a sly grin, she mirrored it perfectly. "We can share a lot of things now…"

"Like knuckles?" She asked, holding her fist out to Booth, he nodded and laughed lightly.

"Yeah, like knuckles." He said, bumping his knuckles up against hers lightly, he glanced to Temperance, who approached them slowly. "Here, Bones… hold out your fist…"

"I remember knuckles…" She said, narrowing her eyes playfully as her daughter tipped her head curiously and smiled as her mother held out her fist to her daughter. Antonia bumped against her mother's knuckles with hers and laughed out loud, followed by Booth's knuckles rapping hers too, he smiled at her, and moved to her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to him, he kissed her head, and leaned over and kissed her lips quickly.

"Oh!" Antonia exclaimed. "You kissed my mommy…" She said, watching Booth carefully, her eyes narrowed as she watched the two of them.

"Yeah? What's it to ya? Jealous?" He teased.

"Um…" She said, looking thoughtfully. "Can I have one too?"

"Sure, I can share…" Booth said, leaning forward, he felt her hand on his chest.

"No, I mean mommy… I want a mommy kiss." She said with a sly smile that made Booth's heart beat a little faster, the similarities in her face to her mother's were uncanny, and this was just another example.

"You want a kiss from me?" Temperance asked, her eyes widening as the little girl smiled, holding her arms out.

"Show Deuce how you give dinosaur kisses." She said, as Temperance's cheeks turned bright red, her eyes moving to Booth as she felt the heat of his gaze on her face.

"You want a dinosaur kiss?" She asked, watching the humored look on Booth's face, she reached for the little girl and started kissing her, growling a little as she kissed again and again, sending the little girl into gales of laughter. "This is how a dinosaur kisses! Grrrr!" She exclaimed as the little girl shrieked with giggles, as Temperance cradled her as she pulled her face from her daughter's cheek, and looked up at Booth. "Tell your daddy what you know about dinosaurs…" She said, letting the word roll off her tongue naturally, as if she had been saying it all along.

"Dinosaurs are big! They are scary! And they live in the basement of the museum!" She exclaimed as Temperance pulled her up and held her on her hip.

"She's not a fan of dinosaurs." Temperance shrugged.

"Only their kisses?" Booth asked, watching Temperance blush again.

"Yeah." She nodded. "It's time for us to get going, sweetheart." As soon as she said it, she knew she was going to regret it, as the smile on the little girl's face disappeared and she reached out for Booth with a wail. "I don't want to leave!" She exclaimed.

"It's okay…" She said, turning her around, she lifted her to Booth, to show that it would be okay, and she calmed as soon as she was in his arms. "We're going to see him later this week… we'll go visit him in a day or two… but you have to get home, and show mommy that sticker book, she's very excited." Temperance said, glancing to Booth, who smiled a bit as he watched Temperance's eyes, passing on a look of understanding.

Antonia looked to her mother and pouted, and her eyes passed to Booth, who raised his eyebrows at her. "Well? She's very excited, Toni…"

Antonia huffed, her lip protruding for a second as she gave in fairly easily. "Why do you have to go away?" She whispered.

"I have a very important job to do…" He whispered, giving her a soft poke on her nose.

"What job do you got?"

"Oh… I make trouble." He shrugged with a smile, glancing to Temperance as she smiled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing for you to worry about." He said, kissing her cheek as he handed her off to Temperance. "You be a very good girl for mommy… and I'll get to see you in a day or two, okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise, baby." He whispered as he leaned in to kiss her cheek again. "I love you, Baby."

"I love you, Daddy." She whispered, watching Booth carefully to see if it was okay that she used that word.

"I love you, Bones." He said, reaching out to touch her cheek.

"I love you." She whispered. "I love you so much." She said, leaning forward for a kiss on his lips, she pressed her forehead to his.

"One of these days… I'm going to get one of those dinosaur kisses." He whispered as she let out a teary laugh.

"One of these days." She said, kissing him again, she turned reluctantly and walked toward the door with the little girl. She opened the door slowly, waving tenderly as they both disappeared from the room, but not from the heart or thoughts of the man remaining there.


	21. Vacation: Freedom And Release

**Update 21- "Vacation- From the Latin 'vacatio' and means, you know, freedom and release"**

The airport was bustling and crowded, and Temperance hustled through the throngs of people as quickly as she could. She held her tickets in one hand, and her daughter's hand in the other as she pulled her carefully through the crowds. "Antonia, please let me carry you." She said as she leaned down to pick up the little girl, who pushed her mother's hands away.

"No, Mommy, I want to walk!" She said, moving out of her mother's way, she watched the frustration in her face as she struggled with her, and after another moment relented, allowing her to pick her up. "Where are we going?"

"On a trip." She whispered.

"To where?" She asked, glancing behind them. "I want to go back and see my daddy." She said as Temperance adjusted her daughter on her hip and looked around for the right terminal.

"We'll see him when we get back."

"Back from where?" She asked again, watching her mother's eyes light up as she saw her destination and started walking quickly toward the lighted number. "How are we getting there?"

"We're going to take a plane… we've had this conversation… why do you insist on asking the same questions again and again?" She asked the little girl, who could practically feel her mother's anxiety, she became quiet as Temperance moved toward the terminal. As soon as she turned the corner, however, her shoulders dropped when she looked at the screen.

"What's wrong, mommy?" Antonia whispered.

"There is a delay… of course there is a delay." She sighed, looking to her daughter who was watching her with a concerned expression. "We're going to have to wait a little bit longer, baby."

"Before we get on the plane?" She asked, her eyebrows rising as Temperance nodded and walked toward one of the seats in the waiting area, she slipped the carryon bag off her shoulder and sat heavily in one of the seats, shifting Antonia to her lap, she wrapped her arm around her and situated her on her lap as she reached for her phone. She flipped it open and dialed a number. After a moment, someone answered and she smiled. "Hey Ange."

"Hey, Sweetie… did you miss the flight?"

"No." Temperance said incredulously. "Its delayed, I just wanted to let you know… looks like a little under an hour."

"And you thought I'd freak out if you were late calling me?"

"Ange?"

"You're right, I probably would have freaked out." She laughed into the line. "How is Little A?"

"She's fine…"

"How did the visit with Booth go?"

----------

_Booth looked up from his seat at the table when he heard voices coming from outside the visitor's room, and in the window he saw two little brown eyes peeking at him. He smiled brightly and waved, suddenly seeing a little hand waving in at him as the little head started to bob from jumping up and down as her hand waved in the air. He laughed to himself as he watched the door open slowly, the door being pushed open carefully, a set of little hands squeezed through the crack in the door before it had opened fully. "Daddy!" Antonia squealed as she ran across the room, watching Booth shift in his chair as he took the brunt of her hug with minimal pain, lifting her into his arms, she squeezed him tightly and kissed his cheek. "I missed you!" She said excitedly, kissing his cheek softly, she settled in his lap and turned to see Temperance walking in. "Mommy says we're going on a trip today…"_

_"She did?" Booth asked, smiling at Temperance, holding her eyes with his as she raised her eyebrows and sat down across from him. "Where did she say you were going?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at Temperance who just gave him a half smile._

_"She said it's a secret."_

_"A secret?" He asked, surprised. "That's not fair…"_

_"I know, can you believe it?" She asked, shaking her head._

_"You didn't even tell her until today?" Booth asked._

_"I have learned in a very short amount of time, that if you don't want to be nagged to death by a child… you don't tell them anything until it's absolutely necessary." She replied._

_"Good point." He whispered, reaching his hand across the small table, she dipped her fingers into his palm, and let him squeeze lightly. "But will you tell me?"_

_"We're… going to Minnesota… I have family out there." She nodded, watching his eyes follow hers. "Seven days." She nodded. He watched her for several moments, his attention on her as she focused on their hands for a moment. She could tell he wanted to say more, but couldn't. "It's not long… and she'll be okay, I'll be okay. I promised my father I'd call him every day, and Angela too. I'll call you." She nodded._

_"You promised."_

_"I did." She nodded. "I promise, and I always keep my promises." She whispered. "I will call."_

-----------

"You told him you were going to Minnesota to visit family? Bren…" Angela whispered.

"No." She replied. "I didn't technically lie to him. I told him we were going to Minnesota… we have a connector in Minneapolis… and as for the family thing… I just said I have family there, I never said I was going to see them."

"Sweetie, you're treading on very dangerous ground here. You shouldn't lie to him, what if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen, Angela. Even if something were to happen… it's not going to matter if I was in Minnesota or California, Washington… It will be fine. I just wanted to let you know that we were running behind. I will call you as soon as the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac, I promise."

"Good luck, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Ange." She whispered, flipping the phone closed, she felt Antonia's head against her, and pulled her legs up as the little girl's eyes drooped sleepily. "Don't you sleep too much, princess." Temperance whispered. "We have a long flight ahead of us, little girl… don't you sleep too much right here."

"Okay, Mama." She whispered, leaning her head into her mother, she closed her eyes, and promptly drifted off to sleep.

-------  
Temperance rocked her little girl carefully in her arms, her body rocking back and forth, as she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the different flights being called. Her eyes closed briefly as she melted into her surroundings peacefully. She heard people talking on the phone, flights being called to different gates, cell phones ringing, people typing on their laptops. She rocked back and forth, humming softly to the small child in her arms, the words of those around her echoing in her head, when she heard it, her own voice.

_"I'll see you when you get back!"_

_The last words she called out to him as he jogged out of the metal door, the rain pounding on the roof, the crowds surrounding her as she promised that she would see him when he returned, wishing him luck and love on his mission as he disappeared out the doors into the torrential downpour._

_Her mind reflected on that moment, the moment her body reached the window to watch the plane take off, the rain pouring down the window that she was standing in front of, their bodies, dark in the shadow of the clouds as they ran up the steps and into the plan, her hand pushing down on the St. Christopher medal in her hand, her heart heavy as if she knew, as if she knew this would be the last moment she saw him._

_Just as the plane began to move, she remembered, she remembered the heat, the grief, the pain, the screaming in the terminal, the alarms sounding as a full lockdown was put in place. She remembered the fire and debris falling to the ground, the St. Christopher's medal cutting into her hand from squeezing it so tightly, the crushing pain in her chest. She remembered all of this as she watched out the window, but the plane hadn't taken off yet, the plane was still on the ground, and he was there, he was still alive, and…_

"NO!" She screamed, waking out of the slight nap she had found herself in, she looked down into the frightened eyes of her daughter, who had woken from her mother's shout, and Temperance looked around the terminal to see that there were many people staring at her. Antonia then began to tremble and cry. "Oh!" Temperance exclaimed, lifting the girl to her shoulder. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "I'm so sorry, baby… Mommy had a bad dream, I'm sorry, baby…" She said as she stood up with her daughter and her bag and rushed away from the terminal, and down the hallway back toward the security desk. Antonia cried on her mother's shoulder as Temperance tried to get through the security check point, tried to get back to the lobby. She hadn't been on a plane since Booth's accident, and she now knew that this was a big mistake, this was a very big mistake.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The security guard said, blocking her path as she bounced her daughter as her cries began to subside, her thumb finding its way to her mouth as she gripped her little gray elephant tighter in her hands, and her mother as well.

"I'm fine… I just have to go." She whispered, with a frustrated sigh.

"Ma'am… you seem, distressed, is there a specific reason you need to leave? Has someone hurt you?"

"No, I just have to go… I have to go right now."

"Ma'am, we're going to have to take you aside, okay? You appear to be quite distressed… and you're making other passengers nervous."

"You don't have to take me aside, I'm leaving." She said, her anger starting to get the best of her when she heard from behind the security guard a familiar voice.

"It's okay, I can take care of it from here." Harding said with a smile as he held his badge up to the security guard. "FBI Special Agent Christopher Harding, sir, this is Doctor Temperance Brennan and her daughter Antonia. I can take care of the Doc from here." He said, watching the security guard watch him for a second and glance at his badge again, before allowing Harding to usher them back down the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered angrily, pushing him toward the large window, her cheeks that were once flushed with fear were now flushed with anger.

"I have a flight… seven thirty to Boulder." He said waving his ticket at her. "One connector in Minneapolis, Minnesota…" he said, grinning at Temperance's obvious livid state, her nostrils were flaring, her face flushed and red, she shifted Antonia in her arms and the little girl finally looked up at Harding. "Hey, Squirt." He said with a smile.

"Don't." Temperance growled at him. "Don't you dare… you are not coming with me."

"I am coming with you." He replied.

"When did you…?" She asked, her glare still on him as he smiled a toothy grin.

"This morning… reinstated… apparently it was self defense. I could have told them that. In fact, I think I did tell them that."

"Harding. You are not coming with me!" She exclaimed.

"I already got my ticket, Temperance… First class." He read off the ticket. "I also believe it is right next to you."

"How did you… how could you even afford a first class ticket on this flight?" She asked angrily.

"Apparently… Angela and Hodgins thought it would be a good idea if you had someone to keep an eye on you two while you're gallivanting around Colorado." He shrugged as he nodded again toward the hallway.

"Ace." She growled.

"Ha… looks like you're taking to the nickname quite well. Oh… our flight is being called!" He said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she walked, he pulled a reluctant, and quite irritated Temperance toward their waiting flight. "And don't worry... I didn't tell Booth anything." He whispered, watching her glare at him angrily, as he walked her to the gate.


	22. Reasons and Resources

**Update 22- Reasons and Resources**

Temperance tried her hardest to ignore the man who was walking behind her toward her gate, but there was no avoiding him. Once again, he had pushed his way into her life, and though part of her wanted to tell him to get lost, there was a small bit of her that was glad that he had insisted on coming along. She shifted Antonia from arm to the other as she handed her ticket over to the person behind the counter, and she could see Harding out of the corner of her eye making faces at Antonia, her daughter giggling a little as her mother held her close. She was finished and heading down the hallway toward the plane, when she heard his heavy footsteps right behind her, hurring to keep up. "Hey, wait up, Doc." He called as she turned around and glared at him, stopping. He nearly ran into her, and watched the warning glare that was directed at him very carefully.

"Please stop calling me that." She said, her voice conveying her irritation as he shrugged at Antonia. Temperance rolled her eyes and turned to continue toward the plane. She lifted Antonia onto the seats and opened the overhead compartment, only to have Harding grab the bag from her and slide it carefully into the compartment. "I'm not helpless." She muttered as she shifted into her seat and sat down, allowing Antonia the window seat, for fear that another panic attack could arise, she buckled her daughter in and glanced to Harding as he sat down.

"I never implied that you couldn't put your own bag away." He said as he became comfortable in his seat, buckling the seatbelt, he reached for the magazine in the pocket of the seat in front of them.

"You do know that those magazines are very often riddled with germs of strangers from all over the country. You don't know if someone has coughed, sneezed or wiped some of their mucus on…"

"Alright, alright…" Harding said, glancing to her as he watched the amused smile on her face. "No magazine. What were you planning on doing on this flight, if you weren't going to be reading the provided literature?"

"Well, it is fairly late, I was thinking that I'd sleep." She replied, watching Harding chuckle a bit. "How is that funny?"

"You have a three year old child right there… who has probably never been on an airplane, and you think that you're going to be able to sleep?" He asked, obviously humored by her assumption.

"Antonia is very well behaved." She said, glancing to her daughter, who had her hands pressed against the window as she stared outside, her eyes wide with wonder as she watched what was going on outside.

"I wasn't implying that she wasn't well behaved, Temperance… but children are extremely curious by nature…" He said, when suddenly, the little girl turned toward her mother.

"Mama, is the plane gonna fly soon?" She asked in a soft, whispering voice, her eyes curious and searching.

"Soon enough, sweetheart." Temperance said softly, running her hand through her little girl's hair, she glanced to Harding, glaring at his grin.

"Is it going to be loud, Mommy? I don't like loud things."

"Not too loud, baby."

"What's that out there?" She asked, her brown eyes watching Temperance curiously, as her mother glared once again at Harding, who smirked as he sat back in his seat, grabbing the eye mask provided to first class customers, he stretched his arms behind his back to rest. She shook her head and turned to her daughter, preparing herself to answer the one million questions that she was expecting from the little girl.

-------------

Once the flight was in the air, and Antonia had been convinced that they were alright, and that everything she heard and felt was normal in an airplane, the little girl settled down in her seat and had fallen asleep, and Temperance sighed at the silence that she was now allowed to enjoy, though the person on the other side of her was now snoring, his head resting back, his mouth open. She scowled and turned, lifting her hand to the mask across his eyes, she pulled it just a little, allowing it to snap back into place. He jumped, pulling the mask off his eyes and snorted a little, his attention now on the woman beside him as he looked at her with a shocked look. "If you're going to be on this flight, Agent Harding… and you're going to be my makeshift bodyguard, or companion, or whatever it is you are… then you're going to be my makeshift talking companion as well." She said matter of factly.

He sat up a bit and smiled at her, shaking his head, he pulled his seat up. "Sure, Doc. What would you like to talk about?"

"Tell me everything you know about Booth's case." She whispered. "I need to know everything before I do this."

"Where is the file?" He asked, watching her eyes flick to the overhead compartment, he nodded and unbuckled his seatbelt. He stood up and opened the overhead compartment, pulling her bag down, he handed it to Temperance and sat back down in his seat, his attention completely on her as he watched her open the bag and pull out the file.

"John." She whispered, pulling a picture from the file, she glanced to Harding and sighed as she handed the photo to Harding.

"They went with John?"

"It's his middle name." She nodded, looking through several of the papers. "They switched his first and middle name."

"John Parker?"

"Yes." She nodded, handing him the picture, she sighed. "I knew they were placed in the system, but it happened so quickly. One moment they were both here, and the next they were gone."

"Booth didn't tell you anything?" Harding asked.

"Booth doesn't even know that I'm doing this. He thinks that I'm going on vacation. He thinks that I'm visiting family. He thinks that I'm honest and he believes that he can't get them back." She whispered. "I will get his family back." She whispered. "What does he know? What does Rebecca know?"

"Booth was… in a coma for a while. Part of it was concussion, part of it was medically induced. Right after the accident, the FBI took Rebecca and Parker into custody, turning them over to the federal marshals for protection. She is the one that signed off on being sent away. She practically signed his death certificate when she left. She is the one that signed the papers to put Booth into the program as well, and when he woke up, Rebecca and Parker were gone." He whispered. "And he was stuck in a life that was made up for him… a life that wasn't him, and he wasn't about to stay."

"So he ran?"

"Well, he hobbled." Harding said with a half smile. "He was determined… and he only knew of one place to start, and that was you. You were his family before this all started, and he knew that if these guys were still out there, it was only a matter of time before they came looking for you too… so he was spending his days investigating… staying in places that he knew he could squat, sleeping when he could, showering where he could, eating when he could... and his nights were spent watching over you and Antonia."

"Booth has always been a very resourceful man." She whispered, looking at the file photograph of Parker. "Does Rebecca know he's alive?"

"I think Rebecca cut off all contact when she was placed. I don't know what she's told Parker." He replied, watching a tear fall from her cheek to the photo, she sniffed as she wiped the tear quickly, rubbing her cheek a bit with her hand. "Hey… it'll be alright, Temperance… we're going to get them back."

"If she doesn't sign the forms, Harding…" She sniffled as she looked at him.

"Listen… if you tell her what you did to get those forms… if you show her how much he has been through, talk to her… listen to her… then you give her no choice."

"And if she still refuses?" She said as she looked up into Harding's eyes and watched him smile just a little, she saw a flicker of hope.

"Then we take other avenues, we have other options. Booth doesn't know you're doing this?"

"No." She whispered. "Because if this doesn't work out… I don't want his heart to be broken. He doesn't need to know anything about this, Christopher. Because right now, it's just the pain of me going on vacation, and I could tell that was going to be hard enough for him, but if he knew where I was going, and what I was doing, and he's just sitting in a jail cell waiting and worrying… it will kill him."

"And you don't think he knows that you're lying to him?" He asked, catching her steely blue stare at full force, he met it with dangerous intensity.

"I think that Booth trusts me. I think that if he has any doubts about my trip, that he wouldn't tell me… and I think that if he is going to be sitting in that jail cell thinking about anything, I'd rather have him worried that I lied to him about where I was going... knowing that I am coming back, then have him certain that I'm putting my career on the line, that there is the possibility that I could try and fail at the one thing that I know he has been thinking about since he woke up. He's been through enough pain, Christopher… the man needs his son to know he's alive… because he won't be completely alive until Parker knows, and he knows that Parker is okay." Temperance whispered, noticing that Harding was watching her very closely.

"And you think you could have done this on your own?" He whispered.

"I'm not alone." Temperance replied.

"No… you're not alone." He said, his eyes glancing to Antonia as the little girl slept soundly. "How did the interview go, yesterday?" He asked, watching Temperance's attention go to his face, her eyes were wide, surprised by his question, his hand reaching for her in support.

"It was… very difficult." She whispered, pausing to remember the fear that had been in her daughter's face. "Very difficult." She said, reluctantly taking the hand of her friend, as she recited the story of Antonia's interview, and of all of the revelations that it stirred up.

--------


	23. Reliving The Nightmare

_****_

**Update 23- Reliving the Nightmare**

_"Can you say your name for me please?" The tall, blonde woman asked, her eyes flashing to the camera in the corner that was recording the interview. She was working on behalf of Caroline, and had been given direction on how to proceed with the questioning of Antonia and Booth._

_The little girl stared at the woman across from her looking extremely nervous. She held tightly to the man who was holding her in his arms, and her fingers worried away at his shirt, her thumb and forefinger pressed together as she tugged at the fabric._

_"Sweetheart, can you say your name for me?" The woman asked again. Antonia made a soft whimpering sound, her eyes on the camera in the corner._

_"Baby… it's okay." Booth whispered. "Miss Janice is a nice lady… My name is Seeley Booth, Miss Janice." Booth said louder, and he could feel the little girl start at the sound of his voice, deep and clear as he spoke. Typically when Booth spoke around Antonia, it was in a very soft tone, and very often a whisper, so hearing his deep voice was a little different than she was used to._

_"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Booth." She said, noting that he was trying his best to calm the little girl, her trust was imperative if they wanted to get the information they needed to keep the remaining thugs in jail, and have Booth released. He was currently being held on charges of treason, and the dissemination of classified information, along with the charges of desertion from the witness protection program that basically amounted to fraud. Though he had never actually signed the forms himself, it was at Rebecca's discretion whether or not he was placed into the program based on the classified nature of the mission, and when the forms had been signed, a stipend had been set aside for him. When he abandoned the program, he had emptied the accounts of the money before disappearing completely off the grid._

_"I want to go see mommy now." Antonia said to Booth, holding his shirt tightly. "Can we go see her now?"_

_"Mommy is right in the next room, sweetheart…" He said, very sure at this point that she wasn't going to say anything to this stranger. He thought that this would be the best way for her to tell the story. "Do you want Miss Janice to go get her?" He asked, watching her nod her head. Booth glanced to the woman, who gave him an almost disappointed look as she stood up. "It'll be okay… she's just shy."_

_"I'm sure she's a little nervous too, it's okay." She nodded politely as she got up and walked toward the door. She opened it, and walked out, as Booth lifted Antonia carefully and stood up._

_"So… what's with the silent treatment with Miss Janice, huh?" He asked, walking around the room, he noticed that the camera was attached to a television that was turned off in the corner. "You don't want her to be our friend?" He watched her shake her head, and then look toward the door, waiting for her mother. "She brought this really cool camera in here and everything. Wave to the camera…" He said, watching her glance at him, before lifting her hand to the camera. While she was doing that, he switched on the television and her eyes widened when she saw her face on the screen. He chuckled. "Look at that…" He said, watching a smile flicker onto her face. "That's right…" He said, watching the smile brighten. "See that, you're a movie star!" He said, as she giggled._

_"You are too, Daddy." She said, pointing to Booth's image in the television._

_"I guess I am…" He laughed. "Tell the camera what your name is."_

_"My first name is Antonia… Daddy calls me Toni… Uncle Bugs and Oompa call me Ant… and Big A calls me little A… and… and my last name is Brennan."_

_"Wow… that's a lot of names for such a little girl… everyone must love you a whole lot…"_

_"Uh… huh!" She exclaimed, watching her image in the camera. "Look, daddy… I'm waving…"_

_"You sure are." He said, hearing the door open, Temperance stepped inside. Booth turned around and faced her, smiling. He had seen her when they had first brought Antonia into the room, and he had a chance to say a quick hello, but this was the first time it was just the three of them since the session a few days earlier._

_"What's going on?" Temperance asked._

_"She's nervous." Booth said, walking toward Temperance, she lifted the little girl into her arms, and her attention was completely on the television screen._

_"No! No… Mommy, look… go over to the camera… go over there…" She said as Temperance glanced to Booth, who shrugged and nodded. She walked to the camera and when both girls appeared on the screen, Antonia giggled. "Look, Mama… we are movie stars!" She said, repeating what Booth had said, she glanced over at him and waved. He smiled and waved back, and Temperance's face became very serious._

_"The interviewer said she was upset."_

_"She was upset." Booth replied. "She asked to see you."_

_"Sweetheart?" Temperance said, pulling the little girl up to look at her face, she tried to get her attention, but the television screen was far too distracting. Booth stood awkwardly as he watched her try to get her daughter's attention, when he stepped to the television screen, and turned it off._

_"Hey! No!" Antonia exclaimed, pushing at her mother, she reached for the television._

_"No." Temperance said with authority. "No television, no camera…" She said as she walked over toward the table and sat the little girl on its edge. Antonia crossed her arms and sneered at her mother, her brown pigtails swinging angrily. "Now that's enough." She said, feeling the presence of Booth behind her, she knew she had him there to back her up. "You and mommy had a very long talk about this last night, Antonia. You remember, don't you?"_

_The little girl shook her head, her pigtails flying in her face, she kept the pout on her face, and her eyes were narrowed, lips pursed. "Toni." Booth said softly, sitting beside Temperance, "You need to do this for mommy…"_

_"For daddy." Temperance whispered, glancing to Booth out of the corner of her eye. "Don't you want daddy to come home?"_

_"Yes." She said, though the pout remained on her face._

_"Then you need to tell mommy what happened." She whispered. "Daddy is right here… he's right here, and you can tell me what happened, and we're both listening, I promise. Start with Lola… tell me what happened with… Lola." Temperance said, remembering the scene in her living room when she and Harding walked inside._

_"Um…" She said, glancing to the camera, and back to her mother, then to Booth. "Lola was…" She said, stringing out the words. "I was in my room waiting for Deuce."_

_"Who is Deuce?" She asked, knowing that there would be a need for clarification, she pointed and grinned._

_"That's Deuce!" She said, watching Booth smile, he reached for her hand._

_"Tell Mommy what else happened, Toni." He said, hoping that if they both talked to her, she'd be calmer, less likely to become upset, or at least make it easier for her to speak. She had their undivided attention, and they both knew that it was exactly what a child wanted._

_"I was waiting for Deuce, and I heard a big boom… and when I heard the big boom, I tried to hide under my bed, but the man came in and he found me and he put the blanket on my head and he took me away."_

_Temperance could feel the tears prickling her eyes as she listened to her daughter speak, and knew that it only became worse from then on. The one thing that helped her hold it together was knowing that her daughter hadn't seen the living room, and Lola lying dead on the carpet. She noticed that Antonia had seen the tears hiding in her eyes, and stopped, watching her mother's face carefully, she didn't want to continue. Temperance gave her a slight smile and tipped her head, hoping that she could hide her emotions just a little longer to get the story out in the open. "Then what happened, baby?"_

_"Um… the bad man told me to shut up…" She covered her mouth and looked at her mother wide eyed._

_"What is it, baby?" Booth asked, unsure of what was wrong._

_"Shut up is a booboo word." Temperance whispered at him, noticing as Booth nodded his head. "It's okay, sweetheart… you're telling me what happened, it's okay." She said, slowly peeling the little girl's hand from her lips, she gave her daughter a devious smile, one that made Antonia smile back. "Then what happened?"_

_"They hurt my hands…"_

_"Did they put rope on your hands?" Booth asked, knowing that Temperance would be unable to ask such a question, he remembered what these men had done, he remembered every single aching moment that involved Antonia._

_"Yes." She nodded. "And they put me in a room… and then I heard them yelling… and then one of the bad men came and pulled me hard and made me go out where the yelling was, and I was scared." She whimpered. "I was scared…" She said, starting to tremble, Booth reached for her, and Temperance put her hand on his, trying to keep him from grabbing her just yet. She needed to hear the rest of the story, and if he comforted her right now, it would never come. Booth turned his head to Temperance and gave her a confused look, but her eyes calmed him when he saw them, saw that she knew what she was doing._

_"Then what happened, baby?" Temperance whispered, one hand in Booth's, one covering her daughter's little hand._

_"They hurt Deuce." She whimpered. "They hurt him and kicked him, and were really mean… yelling booboo words, and… and…"_

_"It's okay, baby…" She whispered, feeling her daughter trembling under her touch, she didn't want her to say any more, didn't want her to suffer. "You don't have to tell me anymore…"_

_"They told me it was all my fault that Deuce got hurt, Mommy." She said, seeing her mother's reaction, and the way she looked to Booth._

_"Toni." Booth whispered, trying to get her to stop before she said anything further._

_"They said they kicked him cuz he wouldn't let me go. He squeezed me really tight so they wouldn't hurt me, he kept telling them to get away, to hurt him and not hurt me." She exclaimed._

_"Booth?" Temperance said as she glanced to him, his eyes were only on the little girl, fearing the look in Temperance's eyes._

_"Antonia, please don't." Booth said softly._

_"Deuce said he wasn't invisible no more because he wanted to save me… He told them to go away, and we prayed that mommy and Ace would save us, cuz mommy is brave and you were partners, and me and Deuce are partners too." She paused. "He got the ropes off my hands and we… we…" She said, rubbing her hand across her face, wiping the tears. "Then Deuce got sick… and then when he sleeped a little, he told me to yell real loud, and when the door opened, I had to run and hide… but we're partners… right, Deuce? Right?"_

_"Right, baby." Booth said, still not sure that he could look at Temperance. "And what did you do?"_

_"I waited for you." She whispered._

_"And what did Deuce do?" Booth asked, watching her bravery start to fade._

_"You said to run."_

_"And what did you do?"_

_"I waited... he tied up the bad men that hurt him, then picked me up… and we went up some stairs to that room… and you…you said you had to go help Mommy and Ace."_

_"What did I say to you in that room?" He whispered, sitting face to face with the little girl, their foreheads were just touching._

_"You said promise."_

_"Promise what?" He whispered._

_"Promise that I would grow up to be like mommy… and promise that I would stay there until you came to find me. But you didn't! You didn't come to find me." She pushed his shoulders and sat back. "Ace found me, not you…" She said, almost accusingly, that it broke his heart to see the hurt in her eyes. "You didn't come find me!"_

_"Antonia…" Temperance said, reaching for the little girl's hands, she turned her to face her, knowing that her rejection had hurt him. "Deuce loves you very much… and he would do anything for you."_

_"He didn't come back. He didn't come back, and he doesn't visit me anymore…" She said as Antonia began to cry, wrapping her arms around her mother, she allowed her to hug her tightly as she sobbed into her mother's arms._

_"He doesn't visit you, because he can't, baby." Temperance said, pulling her daughter's hands from around her neck, she placed her bottom back on the table as she held her tiny hands in hers. Tears ran down her face in a stream, her eyes were bloodshot and so full of pain for her little girl. "He can't visit you, not yet… he loves you so much, and he is trying so hard, so very hard to be here for you, and you can't… can't give up on him, baby. You can't give up on him, because he needs you." She whispered, knowing that she was talking to her daughter, but the words coming out of her lips were meant more for herself. "He is willing to give up himself for you, he is your protector, he will always save you, Antonia. He will never, ever fail you. He loves you so much, and all he wants is for you to be happy. That's all he ever wanted." She said, pulling her little girl into a hug, she cried against her tiny body, as Booth reached out, and embraced them both._

He woke with a start, his heartbeat furiously pounding against his chest, and he leapt from the cot in an alarmingly fast movement. Instantly, he felt sick to his stomach and dizzy, the sounds of the little girl's cries echoed through his mind as he began to pace back and forth. He needed to get out of there, he needed to be free, he couldn't be in there any longer, not if it was hurting that little girl. He walked to the door and pressed his hands against the cold steel of the door, looking out into the hallway, he called out to a guard. He had become very acquainted with the guards, and many of the other inmates, soft spoken and charming, no one bothered him. They all seemed to know that he was a dangerous man if he wanted to be, and one of the nicest people they met if they showed him respect.

"What is it, Booth? It's four in the morning." The guard said, jingling his keys in his hand as he approached the prisoner's cell.

"Yeah, but you know I don't sleep at night." He said softly. "Too much can sneak up on you."

"What do you need?"

"A phone."

"At four in the morning?"

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important… besides, don't you guys guarantee at least one phone call?"

"That's in the movies, Booth." He said, rolling his eyes with a friendly chuckle, he pulled his cuffs from his belt and reached for the keys. "Just this once… but keep it down."

"Got it." Booth said, as he allowed the guard to cuff him, and lead him to the telephones.


	24. What Are You Waiting For?

**_Update 24- What Are You Waiting For?_**

By the time the plane landed in Denver, it was two in the morning by their time, meaning that at home, it was nearly four in the morning. The layover in Minneapolis had a bit longer than they had expected, and Antonia had slept through the entire thing, but now Temperance had the drive from Denver to Boulder to make, and she was dreading it, and feeling the exhaustion was starting to weigh on her. After text messaging Angela that they had arrived in Denver, she slipped her phone into her pocket and lifted her daughter from her seat, waiting for Harding to move from his seat as the plane door opened. He pulled his own bag, and hers from the top and looked as if he was going to carry them.

"I can carry my own bag, Harding." She said, her eyes filled with sleepiness as she reached for the bag, she readjusted Antonia in her arms and watched him stare at her blankly for a second. "Bag… can I have my bag, please?"

"Oh." He said absentmindedly, handing her bag, she instantly felt bad for being short with him. "Sorry about that." He said softly, turning to look at her as she struggled to move from the seat with the little girl and with the bag, but he knew that she was stubborn, and that she felt she had a point to make, so he stepped out in front of her and started for the door, glancing back to see that she had gotten her bag stuck on the seat and was struggling with it, her face becoming more stressed and anxious with each passing second as the other exhausted passengers glared at her.

"Here, Temperance." He said, stepping forward, he reached for the little girl and received a very, very angry glare. "I will hold her… I won't run off with her… I'm right here with you… let's just get off the plane, and we can discuss it then." He said very quietly and quickly, as she allowed him to take the sleeping girl, with minimal disturbance, while she dislodged her bag and followed after him quickly.

The moment they stepped out into the quiet and virtually empty terminal, she reached for her daughter, and Harding was going to oblige, watching the exhaustion in her eyes as he instead reached for her hand and pulled her a bit. She had no energy to pull against him, and followed him to one of the chairs at the empty gate, she allowed him to encourage her to sit down. He sat down beside her, still holding Antonia and carefully cradled the little girl into her mother's arms. "Are you staying in Denver tonight, and going to Boulder tomorrow?" He asked.

"My original plan was to get a rental car and drive to the hotel in Boulder." She replied.

"I got a room here in Denver, we can get some sleep, and then head up to Boulder, okay?"

"You got a room?" She said, watching him give her a pointed stare.

"Yes… I got a room with two double beds… there's a shuttle from the airport there… and you can get some sleep, and then we'll start the day in a few hours." He replied, watching her suspiciously eye him.

"Come on, Doc… don't look at me like that." He replied. "You know that I respect you. If you don't want to accept my hospitality, then it's fine… but don't act like I'm a stranger off the street." He defended, watching her stare soften slightly. "I am here as a friend, I am here to help." He replied.

"You're here because Angela gave you a large sum of money." She replied.

"Is that really what you think? You think your friend paid me off to be your body guard?" He asked, offended by the accusation, he watched her shake her head. "She didn't even ask me, Temperance. I asked her where you were going, and she told me. I knew you could do this alone, I just didn't want you to put yourself through it.

"You know what?" She whispered, her voice showing the tiredness she was feeling. "I don't even care… okay? I don't care why you're here, I don't care that you're here… I just want to find a bed, and find a bed for my child… and get some sleep." She replied. "That is all that I want." She said, her voice becoming increasingly desperate as she sighed. "I just need to find a bed."

"And I will bring you to one." He replied, watching the despair in her eyes. "This isn't going to be easy, Temperance… what you've already have done hasn't been easy, I can tell. It's in your eyes, in the way your voice is wavering. I didn't come along to be your bodyguard, I came along to be your friend."

She shifted her gaze to her daughter, her arms rocking her gently, almost involuntarily. "She has been through so much." Temperance whispered. "I shouldn't have brought her with me. I should have left her with Dad, I should have… I… I don't know." She whispered.

"She needs to be with her mother." He nodded, running his fingers through the little girl's hair. "She has been through a lot, but she shouldn't be away from you, she needs you. Every moment that she spends with you is precious, even if you don't realize it now, it will mean the world to her in the future."

"She's so young, so small, she shouldn't have to do this with me. I don't know what I'm getting myself into, I don't know what kind of shape I'm going to be in."

"If anything, you'll be stronger for her. She's a constant reminder of why you're doing this, Temperance. What would have happened to Booth if she wasn't born? Do you think he would have come back to you immediately? Do you still think he would be in the shadows if she hadn't been here? Can you honestly tell me that you haven't once thought about where Parker is, about finding them…?"

"I looked for them." She whispered. "I did some research, and I was warned to mind my own business." She replied. "But I needed to do this. I need to see Parker, I always needed him to know about how I felt for his father, that I love him too, and that I didn't abandon him. I hope he doesn't think that I just forgot about him. Also, he's Antonia's brother… half brother, but still, biologically, they're linked, and I think that he has every right to know about that… to know that someone out there shares something with him. But this wasn't just for Parker, or just for Antonia to know that she has a brother… but for closure, you know? I didn't get to say goodbye to him." She whispered.

"And that's fitting." Harding said as he stood up, holding his arms out to take the little girl in his arms.

"I don't know what you mean." She shook her head and looked up at him, her brow furrowed with confusion.

"Because you didn't have to say goodbye, Temperance. You were always supposed to find him."

"He probably doesn't even remember me." She said, lifting her daughter to his arms, she pushed her head into his jacket and snuggled into him as Temperance grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder.

"Oh, that's ridiculous, Doc. Who could forget you?" He said, nudging her a little as they walked toward the baggage claim together in a companionable silence.

---------------

By the time they entered the hotel room, it was nearly an hour later, and Temperance was really fighting to keep her eyes open. She rolled the suitcase into the room and watched as Harding carried the little girl toward the bed on the farthest side of the room. She stared exhausted at him, holding the small child to his chest as he pulled away the blankets and carefully tucked her beneath them.

"You didn't have to carry her the whole way, Ace." Temperance whispered.

"It was absolutely no problem." He said, leaning down to kiss the little girl's forehead, he stood up and faced her, giving her a kind smile, he realized how cool his arms were without that tiny body in them to keep him warm.

"I'm going to go… wash my face…" She whispered.

"That's fine." He said, pulling his coat off, he watched her stand staring at him curiously. "What?" He asked, tipping his head as he sat down on the other bed, leaning back on the pillows, he watched her continue to stare.

"You." She whispered. "You're kind, courteous… very well structured. You are sensitive, charming, and though you have your faults, you continue to remain in my good graces by insisting on helping…"

"Are you complimenting me?" He asked, giving her a cocky grin that made her glare.

"I'm making an observation." She said, her voice showing a slight bit of irritation. She took a step back. "Just a simple observation of why a man like you isn't married, or have at least have a girlfriend, or for the matter of our conversation several weeks ago, a boyfriend." She said, watching his grin turn into a laugh as he tipped his head back and let his hand smack his chest as he tried to control the laughter. "I didn't think what I said was very humorous. It is a simple observation, Ace. What are you waiting for?"

"What am I waiting for?" he asked, calming from his obviously overtired laughter.

"The world is in front of you, but you've been busy sticking your nose in everyone else's business. Why are you making such a point to do that? Why do you care so much about what is going on with everyone else? Why aren't you out there in the world trying to find something to make you happy?" She asked.

"Because the last time I was happy, Temperance… my best friend moved away to be with the woman he loved, who just happened to be the woman that I loved… the only difference, was that she didn't know that I loved her, and all of that didn't matter because she was carrying his child." He said, rolling off the bed, he gave her a sad smile. She was standing across from him, staring into his eyes, her own eyes widened in surprise as she realized the implications. "Do you mind if I use the bathroom first? I won't be long." He said, watching her nod slowly as he disappeared into the small room, and closed the door behind him.

She pulled her jacket off and tried to stay awake waiting for him, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion as she walked to the bed beside her daughter and lay atop the comforter. She kept her eyes on the bathroom door, for what was only a moment or two, before her exhaustion got the best of her, and with a half hearted yawn, her mind shut down as she peacefully slipped into a deep sleep.


	25. Guess What Else

**_Okay... so the next chapter is fluff filled and short, but I couldn't resist... It is always great to get a little bit of insight into some of my characters, so here is a little insight into Antonia and Harding... I hope you enjoy :)_**

**_Update 25- Guess What Else_**

Harding was lying on his side, his eyes were closed, but he had the overwhelming feeling that he was being watched. He listened carefully and heard the gentle breathing of someone right beside him, possibly less than a foot from his face. He could feel his lips twitching a bit, resisting the smile that he knew was coming, and he knew the pair of eyes he'd be staring into as soon as they opened.

"Hey." She didn't even wait for him to open his eyes, and there was a finger tapping at his cheek. "Hey." She said again.

He opened his eyes and was met by the smiling eyes of the little girl. "Hey yourself." He said softly, glancing around her to see that Temperance was still sound asleep. His eyes moved to the clock and he noted that it was nine in the morning, which would be eleven on the east coast. "What are you doing awake?" He whispered.

"I'm not tired no more." She replied, not whispering, and kind of wiggling as she leaned on the agent's bed.

"You're not tired?"

"No." She sighed. "I am hungry." She said, smiling sweetly.

"You're hungry?"

"Yes."

"And what would you like to eat?" He asked, watching her lip curl up in that ironic smile that her mother had, almost like a sneer, but her eyes were smiling, and her nose crinkled just a bit.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I'll tell mommy that I'm hungry, she'll know…" She said, starting to turn around, he reached for her hand and watched her turn to him sharply, pulling her hand, she gave him a pout.

"We should let mommy sleep." He whispered, watching her stop and cross her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at him. "Please?" He tipped his head.

"Why?" She asked, raising the other eyebrow to match the first, he was mesmerized by how much she resembled her mother at that very moment, he was surprised that her tiny toe wasn't tapping on the ground at that very moment, and the thought sent a smile to his face.

"Because she was very tired yesterday, and you, little miss… you got to sleep all the way from the airport to the hotel room, and mommy had to walk."

"So why didn't you carry her too?" She asked, stepping forward, she leaned on the bed with her elbows, resting her face in her hands.

"I think mommy would have protested that…" He replied, watching her eyes narrow.

"I don't know what that means." She said, sighing. "I'm hungry."

Harding sat up a little, looking down at the suit pants that he had fallen asleep in, he sighed as he looked at the wrinkles, he pulled his legs up and folded them beneath him as he patted the bed beside him. "Here… hop up here, and we'll see what they have for room service…"

"What's that?" She asked, climbing onto the bed, tugging the blankets along with her as she rolled onto the bed and sat up, crossing her legs beneath her to sit the same way as Harding, she watched as he pulled a paper from beside the bed, and smiled at her.

"That's when an adult…" He said, accentuating that fact. "Calls downstairs in a hotel, and orders their breakfast to be brought up to the room."

"And the adult orders food for the cute little girl, right?" She asked, raising her eyebrows curiously at Harding, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Right." He nodded. "So… what would you like for breakfast?" He whispered, glancing to Temperance as he watched Antonia reach for the menu. He handed her the pamphlet, and she looked through it as if she were reading a very involved novel. Her face was very serious, her long eyelashes fluttering as she looked up at him and then back down to the menu.

"I want that." She said, pointing at a picture of steak and potatoes that was on the dinner menu.

Harding chuckled a little and smiled, looking at the menu he tilted head. "How about we get some fruit cups, and a couple bagels and a cup of orange juice for you, and some coffee for mommy?"

"Whatever." She shrugged, smiling at Harding, her eyes sparkling with happiness as she watched across at Temperance. "Mommy didn't cry." She said softly, watching Harding reach for the phone, his attention was suddenly on the little girl.

"What was that?" He asked curiously.

"Mama." She said softly. "She didn't cry in her sleep. She always cries in her sleep." She said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Sometimes she wakes up yelling… but I know she's not yelling at me because she hugs me."

"Of course she's not yelling at you… your mommy loves you very much." Harding said as he watched her nod her head.

"Ace?" She said, tipping her head as he raised his eyebrows in question. "I'm still hungry." She said, watching him laugh just a little as he nodded his head and picked up the phone to order their room service.

When he was off the phone, he realized that he was still the center of attention for those soft brown eyes of the sweet little girl sitting across from him. He gave her a slightly confused look and she grinned brighter. "Guess what." she said, glancing to Temperance and back to Harding.

"What?"

"I found out a secret." She whispered.

"You did?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"What did you find out?"

"Deuce is my daddy." She said, a tiny secret smile on her face that made Harding shake his head with a smile of his own.

"Is that right?"

"Yes." She nodded. "And guess what else."

"What?" Harding asked.

"Deuce kissed my mommy." She whispered.

"He did?" Harding asked, pretending to be surprised by this news, but he couldn't hide the smile.

"Yes." She nodded, watching him carefully, her head turning to look toward the television, she then turned and gave Harding a devious smile. "And guess what else." She said, her lower lip easily chewed as the grin never left her face.

"What?" He asked, watching as she immediately crawled toward him and into his lap, she looked up at him and giggled.

"You're gonna watch cartoons with me." She said, smiling as she pushed her back into him and waited patiently for him to turn the television on.

"Can't argue with that." He said, reaching to his side, he reached for the remote control from the bedside table, his eyes catching a flicker of blue as Temperance's eyes closed, and a slow smile spread on her face as he shook his head and turned the television on, looking quickly for a channel with cartoons to appease the small, insistent child who had taken over his lap, the television, and his heart in one fell swoop.


	26. Truth Hurts

**_Update 26- Truth Hurts_**

Booth had been waiting all afternoon for the visitor call. He refused breakfast and lunch, and just sat in his cell, running his fingers tirelessly over the St. Christopher medal that Temperance had given him. His eyes were focused on the photographs on the small table beside his bed, and he could do nothing but stare into the eyes of Temperance, and his daughter, and move through his next plan of action methodically in his mind. He was so focused on his thoughts, that the rattling of the door opening startled him, and he gasped just a bit, sending a sharp pain to his battered ribcage.

"Booth, visitor." The guard said as Booth stood up as quickly as he could, gathered the objects in front of him and placed them carefully in the box beside the bed. He moved as quickly as he could toward the guard and allowed him to handcuff him and lead him down the hallway toward the meeting room. He sat down in the chair, and his hands were allowed freed as he waited for the door on the other side to open. As the door opened, Booth remained seated, knowing that the etiquette would be to stand, but that the guard hated when he stood as a visitor arrived.

"Max." Booth said, the word came out as one of relief as he saw the older man enter the room with a smile on his face, his hand already extended as he stood up and grasped it tightly, allowing Max to pull him in for a hug. "Now that's a greeting I can handle…"

"You deserved that ass kicking, and don't pretend you didn't." He said sternly as he released the younger man with a hearty laugh.

"Did you bring it?" He asked, watching Max nod.

"What do you think took me so long, they had to search it, X-ray it… pat it down… pretty much molested it." He said, handing the bag that Booth had left at Max's place over to him as he sat down. "You don't mind if I sit down, do you? It was a long ride, but exhausting all the same." He said with a laugh.

"No, go ahead, sit down…" Booth said, moving around the table, he began removing the articles from the bag, placing them on the table carefully, he spread them out. Three notebooks, and a small box filled with receipts, notes, and old napkins, Booth stared at each piece of paper as if it were the pieces of an important puzzle, arranging them carefully. When he was finished, he looked up at Max as he moved the bag onto the floor.

"What is all of this stuff, anyway."

"It's my ticket out of here… and almost quite literally." Booth replied. "This… all, is a travel journal and expense report for every cent that I spent of the government's money." He sighed. "The stipend was for living expenses, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this proves where every single cent of that money went. It tracks where I was, what I was doing, and it proves that I was in no way connected to the mission that went sour. I don't know why they thought I had something to do with the plane exploding, and I don't know why they insist that I was trading secrets, but when those whistles were blown." He said slapping his hand down on a pile of receipts. "I was nowhere in sight…I only bought food late at night, and I rarely came out during the day… I have accounts…" He said, holding the notebooks. "By reputable people placing me in different places. I had no access to telephone, so unless they have some sort of documentation that they can prove was written by me… there is no way those charges are going to stick. And as for the stipend, it was living expenses, and this is just proof that it is all I used that money for. There isn't one cent that was not spent on food, shelter, or clothing."

"Booth?" Max said, shaking his head. "You've had this the entire time?"

"Yes." He said, staring the older man in the face, he could see the pain in his eyes. "I was taking a page out of the Max Keenan bible… clear your name, and protect your family, no matter the cost to oneself. I didn't have to kill a man to do it, but I was more than willing to." Booth whispered.

"You could have been out weeks ago, Booth."

"And I would be no closer to getting what I want than I am right now. I sat in that room and I listened to my daughter tell her mother what happened to her. She thinks that I don't love her! I need to get out of here for her!"

"She knows that you love her, Booth, she's a kid."

"Yeah, she's a kid who has been waiting for her daddy to come home, but he's too goddamned selfish trying to bend the system to work for him, that he forgot what he was actually fighting for!" Booth exclaimed in an angry whisper. "I thought that if I told them that I knew something, that they'd make a deal and help me find Parker. I thought that if they made a deal, and they brought Parker back, I could use this evidence to get out."

"So you're doing all of this for your family?"

"Yes." Booth hissed, his eyes were tired, but his resolve was strong, and every day he spent in that cell, he did what exercise that he could to keep himself. "I need to get out of here. If I can't have Parker, I at least can have my daughter until I find him."

"And it only took you this long to figure that out?" Max asked.

"Don't be an asshole, Max!" Booth exclaimed, starting to stand up, he walked toward the door, and the guard stood at alert.

"He's fine." Max said, waving his hand to the guard, who stood down after another moment. "Just… stop, Booth, okay? You deserve a break. You've been running for years, Booth… running nonstop, you deserve a break."

"I'm not getting a break." He whispered. "I'm not getting anything. I am no closer to finding Parker than I ever was." Booth said as he paced back and forth like a caged lion, rubbing at the back of his neck with his hand until it burned.

"I thought you knew about the lengths that my daughter would go for you, Booth. I'm a little disappointed." Max said with a knowing smile.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Booth demanded, turning sharply toward Max, who just shook his head. "Max, what the hell does that mean?" He asked angrily, coming toward him, he leaned over the table as the guard opened the door.

"It means that Temperance is not in Minnesota, Booth… she has a much more personal visit on her agenda."

"She lied?"

"She was in Minneapolis… she didn't lie… she just told a half truth." Max said as he started to stand up, and the guard began to handcuff Booth.

"What does that mean? She knows? She knows where he is?" He exclaimed eagerly, almost angrily.

"She didn't want you to get your hopes up." He said as he looked Booth in the eyes, the younger man's eyes filling with tears as he looked across at the older man. "She'll call you tonight, son, she'll tell you tonight what she learned."

"She knows where? She knows and she didn't tell me?" Booth asked as he was led backwards. "If she didn't want me to know, then why would you tell me?" He asked, unsure of where he stood at that moment.

"Because she didn't want you to get your hopes up, Booth… but as a father myself, and knowing the position you're in a little too well, I think that you knowing that she is doing everything she possibly can to make this happen, that she loves you enough to do this… it'll keep your hopes right where they belong." He said, gathering the papers on the table. "I will get these to Caroline." He said, carefully placing the papers in the bag, he watched as Booth passed him a desperate look over his shoulder, just as the guard muscled him out of the door and back towards his cell.

------------

Temperance drove quietly, her eyes focused between the road and the GPS unit, and not a word was spoken between the two adults. Nestled in the back seat in the rented car seat, Antonia looked back and forth between the two adults.

"Where we going?" Antonia asked, watching her mother's eyes meet hers in the rear view mirror.

"Where 'are' we going?" Temperance corrected as Antonia nodded a little and sighed.

"I don't know, that's why I asked you, Mommy." She said, clearly not understanding that her mother was correcting her, Temperance smiled.

"We're going to go see a friend, sweetheart." Temperance said, watching Antonia nod her head and look back out at the passing scenery.

"Temperance?" Harding's voice interrupted her thoughts, and nearly made her jump. She wasn't expecting him to speak, and he had been so quiet, she had nearly forgotten that he was even in the car.

"What?" She asked, pretending to not be affected by his sudden decision to talk, she glanced to her side and watched him tip his head in concern.

"I think you should let me go in and talk to Rebecca." He said seriously, as Temperance shook her head.

"Absolutely not. You're not even supposed to be here. I will not have you compromise this in any way." She said, her voice stern and serious.

"Temperance, I think you're in way over your head with this." He said, choosing his words carefully.

"I think that if you want to remain in this car for another thirty seconds, you'll close your mouth. Not you, or anyone is going to stop me from doing this."

"But she knows me, I can probably be more convincing. I know her better than you do… and frankly, you're really not that good with people." Harding said as Temperance began to slow the car. "What are you doing?"

"Get out of the car." She said, pulling to the side of the road, she put it in park and glared at him.

"Temperance." He said sternly.

"Don't you dare." She said, watching him falter just a moment, but quickly regain his composure.

"Temperance, I'm just concerned."

"And I am not going to be second guessed, I will not be overseen, I will not be looked over, looked after, chased or otherwise. I am trying to…" She stopped, looking back at her daughter, whose eyes were wide with concern at the tone of her mother's voice. "Get out of the car." She said, looking back at Harding.

"Temperance, you are not leaving me here."

"No, I'm getting out too… get out of the car so that I can have this argument with you out there, and not in the car."

"You want to get out of the car so that you can yell at me? She can still see through the window."

"SHE has a name." Temperance growled. "This is my rental car, and I want you to get out of it right now!" She exclaimed. "Unless you want me to call the police and tell them that you're attempting to hijack my car…"

"Carjack, the term is carjack… Jesus, were you born in a hole in the ground?"

"Just get out!"

"Stop being so goddamned stubborn! Just let me talk to Rebecca! That's all I want, is ten minutes with her!"

"Why? Why? So you can try to make things right with someone that you should have made things right with eleven years ago? That ship has sailed, Harding! If she wanted you, she would have looked for you! She didn't want you! She doesn't want you now! What makes you think that seeing you is going to make that choice any easier for her? We are doing this my way! My way, do you get it? I am the one with the papers! I am the one with the reason to come out here, and I was there for five years of that little boy's life! Where the hell were you?" She exclaimed angrily, looking back at Antonia's widened eyes as she watched her mother's apologetic look. She gripped her stuffed elephants tightly in her arms and breathed calmly.

Harding stared at her for several moments as complete silence filled the car. Temperance's chest heaved from the exertion of telling him off, and she only felt a little sorry for the man who had, up until now tried to be helpful.

"Listen." She said, watching Harding's eyes burn into hers, the fire in their argument very reminiscent of arguments with another partner, full of fire and passion, though this was a different kind of passion. This was a need, and she needed to bring Rebecca and Parker back, she needed them to be in Booth's life, she needed to make things right. She needed him whole again. Harding shook his head and looked at her angrily. "Just… listen." She said, much calmer than before. "We need to work as a team on this, okay? You're right… she doesn't know me very well… and she may not trust me, she may not want to allow Parker to see him, I don't know. But the truth is… you don't know if she's in a relationship, okay? See this file… this file is what they set up for them… but they don't update it, Christopher. You don't know what her life is like right now, and you can't risk this for Booth, for your own selfish reasons."

"I should have been selfish years ago." He said, growling under his breath, trying to remain calm.

"Yeah… maybe you should have been… but maybe this will work out, okay? As I remember, Rebecca was quite promiscuous, and its very possible that she's still that way, today."

"Don't… go there, Doc."

"Where?" She said, unsure of what he was talking about, she just continued. "Booth wants his son back, and he would do anything to make that happen… but if we spook her, she might not feel safe. You're a law enforcement officer… use your credentials to make her feel safe… we can discuss the situation, and then leave the papers with her. If she wants to speak with you privately, then fine… she can either do so at that time, or she can just say it was good to see you, and be done with it, okay? But our priority… is to get these papers in her hands, and get the information about Booth to her. That is our priority, your libido…"

"Heart, my heart, Temperance. I loved her."

"Your heart is going to have to come in second here." She whispered. "It sounds cruel, but it's the rational thingn to do. She may be very shocked to see you, we don't know, I don't even know the extent of your relatioship with her, but this is not something we should be jumping into blindly… there is no need to shock her."

"Instead, you're going to bring her son's father's other child into the mix… that won't shock her."

"I sense sarcasm." She whispered, shaking her head confusedly. "Antonia is simply here because I couldn't leave her behind, you said so yourself. There will be no talk of her lineage… who her father is, is not pertinent to our goal. Our goal is to get Booth's family back, that is our goal." She replied, watching his face soften at her words. "Everything else is secondary."

"I want to say you're being selfish, but you act like there is nothing in this for you." He replied softly, his brown eyes imploring her intentions.

"There is nothing in it for me. This is for Booth, only for Booth." She said, watching his eyes for just another moment more before turning her attention back to driving, as she pulled carefully back into traffic.


	27. We Can't Always Get What We Want

**_Update 27- We Can't Always Get What We Want_**

Temperance took another look at the GPS as she pulled up in front of a small blue house. The sun was shining above them, and the heat was relentless. The house looked dark, and there were no cars in the driveway. "How do you know she's even home?" Harding questioned.

"Because the file says that she's a lawyer, and they set up her office in the home."

"Oh." Harding nodded.

"Also, the car is in the driveway." She said, pointing across the road at a small yellow house, a silver minivan parked in the driveway.

"Oh." He replied, giving her a confused look. Before he could say another word, she was out of the car. "Wait, Temperance, wait." He said, watching her close the door, tucking the file under her arm, she opened the back door. "Aren't you going to discuss with me how you're going to handle this?"

"There's nothing to discuss, Ace." She replied, helping Antonia from her seat. "It's a fairly simple task. I go up there, tell her that the case has been solved and she's free to return to her family. Get her to sign the release papers, hand her the plane tickets that I bought for she and Parker, and then let her mull it over." She said, pulling her daughter from the seat, she held her as she looked in at Harding. "It's a simple task, even a child could do it." She said, slamming the door, she carried her daughter toward the house. It was just a second or two, and Harding was by her side. As soon as they reached the sidewalk, she turned sharply and faced him. "Don't… ruin this, please." She whispered, staring at his chest for a moment before her eyes met his.

"Ruin this?"

"Yes. Don't… ruin this." She replied.

"You don't trust me?"

Her eyes met his with a fiery gaze. "No." She said simply, turning with Antonia, she stalked toward the house.

"Temperance, wait…" Harding said as he approached her again, catching up to her as she neared the steps of the porch, he put his hand on her shoulder, an she turned to face him sharply.

"Don't, touch me." She said angrily, seriously. "I am doing this my way." She said, pausing at the softness in his eyes. "Please?" She whispered, almost pleading with him, as if she were telling him that she was trying so hard to remain strong, and all she needed was him to support her, to watch her back. "I promise that I'll give you your chance, Christopher." She whispered. "Just let me do this… first."

"Okay." He nodded, putting his hand on the small of her back, she turned to look at him, and he dropped it. "Sorry." He replied, stepping back to allow her to walk in front of him.

She stood for a moment at the door, not saying or doing anything. Antonia had her head turned toward Harding, and was watching him curiously as her mother just stood there. He was about to step forward and ask her if she was okay, when her hand reached out and her finger pushed down on the doorbell briefly. They waited for several moments, and Harding watched Temperance's stance become straighter as the door opened.

Temperance watched the door open, and came face to face with Rebecca. There was a moment of pause on Rebecca's part, on the other side of the storm door, and her eyes immediately widened. A flash of fear crossed her features, and Temperance held a folder in her hands. "Doctor Brennan?" She whispered.

"Ms. Stinson, I have some news for you regarding your…" Temperance began as Rebecca's eyes flashed to Christopher, standing solemnly behind the doctor.

"Chris?" She whispered, her mouth slacked in surprise. "Chris, is that you?"

"Special Agent Christopher Harding." He nodded, giving her a proud grin that made it very obvious that he was there not just on a business call.

"Oh My God!" Rebecca said as she opened the door quickly, stepping out of the house, she immediately wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close. Temperance stood back awkwardly, unsure of how to react, what to say, what to do. She felt like an intruder. "What are you doing here? What are both of you doing here? How did you? How do you…? How did you know where to find us?" She said as she looked nervously between Harding and Temperance. "And who is this?" She said, regarding Antonia, and the little girl pushed harder into her mother's arms.

"This is Doctor Brennan's daughter, Antonia. She's a little shy." Harding said softly as he gave her a polite smile.

"Well… come in, so we can talk… I don't know how you found us. They said we were untraceable." She said nervously as she led them into the small house, allowing them to remove their shoes. "I just… seeing someone from home… it's just… I almost… I don't even…" Rebecca said with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're here!" She said, hugging Harding again, Temperance exchanged a look with him that told him that things needed to change direction, and now, and she watched his posture change immediately.

"Beck, we need to discuss some things." Harding said as he pulled softly at the woman who had practically tackled him. "Beck, it's about Booth."

She backed off for a moment and looked at the concern in his eyes. "What about Seeley?"

"We should probably sit down to discuss this, Beck." Harding said, nodding toward the couch, Rebecca nodded in agreement and led them to the couch.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked as Temperance shook her head and sat down, shifting Antonia in her arms, the little girl buried her face in her mother's chest.

"She's horribly shy, I apologize." Temperance said softly, unsure of why she felt the need to offer an apology for her daughter's behavior, she blamed it on her own uncomfortable feelings, and rocked the little girl gently. "How is Parker doing?" She asked casually, eager to get down to business.

"Oh, he's doing fantastic… very well in school… though he gets into these little moods now and again, acts out."

"Losing a parent can be traumatizing for a child." Harding replied, watching the glare from the woman beside him, he watched her with a knowing look and cleared his throat, looking up at Rebecca. "I don't need anything to drink." He said softly.

"Okay." She said nervously as she sat down across from them, watching as Temperance shifted her daughter in her arms, she noticed that the little girl was trembling a bit, and Temperance whispered to her , trying to calm her. "Is she alright? Does she need some juice or something?"

"Antonia is very nervous around strangers in close quarters." She said politely. "She'll calm down."

"I want to go see daddy." She whimpered.

"We'll see daddy soon." She whispered back, placing the folder on the table. "Rebecca, we understand that you were placed in the witness protection system following the explosion of flight 143 out of Washington D.C. on…"

"Booth is not dead." Harding interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Rebecca gasped as Temperance stiffened in her seat and resisted hitting the man beside her.

"Recently, there were developments in Washington… regarding the case that Agent Booth was working on at the time of his mission." Temperance said, clearing her throat, she glared at Harding, daring him to say another word. He kept his mouth closed and watched Rebecca carefully.

"The Gomez case, the reason that Parker and I were relocated. I don't understand, why do you say Seeley isn't dead?" Rebecca asked, panicking a bit.

"Were you told that he was dead?" Temperance asked, trying to keep her voice level. "Did they give you any proof? Documentation? Death certificate?"

"I signed a release for his medical records, and protection records to place him in the system if he woke up. I apparently was still his medical proxy, and I'm not sure why. I think it had to do with Parker." She said, clearing her throat. "I don't understand , I was told that Seeley had died." She said softly, watching Temperance shake her head.

Temperance then leaned down and pulled two photographs from the folder and placed them in front of Rebecca. One of them was Booth alone, sitting in the visitation room, a photo she had told him was for his records, and the other was of him and Antonia, putting the time frame in perspective. Antonia turned after a moment, watching her mother's hand, her eyes settled on the photographs, and she smiled, sliding down into her mother's lap. "Mommy, that's daddy." She exclaimed happily, pointing at the pictures. "That's daddy and me!" She giggled.

"It is." Temperance whispered. "It is, daddy and you." She said, acknowledging her daughter for a moment as she looked up at Rebecca who was stunned by the pictures.

"Seeley?" She whispered, looking up at Temperance, she shook her head at the two of them. "Seeley is alive?"

"He's alive." Temperance nodded.

"How did…? How is this? Who?"

"He's alive, and he is very eager to get his family back, Rebecca."

"I can't leave here." She whispered.

"Why not?" Temperance asked.

"Parker… I can't just… and, those men, those men are still out there, they're the reason this happened in the first place, and they threatened us. They threatened us, and that's why we were put in the system."

"You can get out of the system now, Rebecca." She whispered. "The men responsible were captured, there is no longer a threat. You can go home and be with your family now." Temperance whispered. "Booth needs his family, now more than ever."

"I don't… I…"

"They wouldn't have given me your information if you weren't safe, Rebecca." Temperance replied. "They wouldn't have told me where you were, if they didn't feel that this was the way that it can go."

"I can't go back, you don't understand!" She exclaimed. "Parker thinks his father is dead! Parker thinks that his father is dead, and as far as I am concerned, he is dead." Rebecca said as tears began to fall down her cheeks. "He's dead, because he put us in this danger, he is the reason that I had to move to the other side of the country, why I couldn't go to my grandmother's funeral. It's his fault that I had to change my name, why my son had to change his! It's his fault!" She exclaimed as she stood up.

"Becks." Harding whispered.

"No! No! This is all the past! This is all the past! My son and I have moved on!"

"But your son has a father!" Temperance exclaimed, beginning to get upset, Antonia held tightly to her mother and put her head on her shoulder.

"And he is dead to us." She said. "Booth has you now, Doctor Brennan. You can be there for him, you are his family… you, and your daughter." She whispered, obviously having not caught that Antonia called Booth 'daddy'. "You can be his family, but I am done with him. He lives a dangerous life, and I can't go back to that. I can't go back to living in fear."

"You won't be living in fear." Temperance said, trying not to get desperate. "He is there to protect you, he wants his family, he needs his son. His eyes don't sparkle like they used to, Rebecca. He's been through so much, all he wants is his family back."

"No." She said, shaking her head. "Absolutely not, no." She said sternly.

"Beck?"

"No, Chris. Does Seeley know where we are?" She asked, looking him directly in the eyes, he shook his head. "Good." She said, looking to Temperance as she folded the folder and hid the photos. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell him. I would appreciate it if you just leave, and pretend you never, ever saw us."

"Rebecca?" Temperance said, her voice becoming desperate as tears formed in her eyes. "Please, please think about this." She whispered, watching Rebecca carefully. "He has been in hiding for over three years. He was only captured because he was injured when he was catching the men who did this to him, they're in jail or dead now… and he would do nothing to put you in any danger again." She whispered. "I am putting two plane tickets in the folder. We are leaving on Friday for Washington. All you need to do is fill this paper out, releasing yourself from the program and fax it to the number printed on the paper. They will call to confirm, and the process will be started. There are several stipulations, and guidelines that must be followed, but they…"

"Doctor Brennan! I don't need…"

"They need to be followed properly in order to be released. They provide a stipend until you get back on your feet, though I do believe that if this goes through properly, then Booth may be able to get a stipend for a very long time following his release since many of the things that happened were borderline illegal." She continued, despite Rebecca's protests.

"Doctor Brennan, I think I've heard enough."

"The instructions and plane tickets are in the folder." Temperance said, standing up. "If you decide not to do this for Booth, I trust that you won't tell Parker of our visit. However, if you do decide to inform your son that his father is indeed alive and waiting to speak with him again, please tell him that I miss him as well." She said as she shifted her daughter on her hip, where Rebecca was able to get a really good look at the little girl's face.

"Doctor Brennan?" Rebecca said, her eyes meeting with Antonia's as the little girl looked to her. "Did she say that Seeley was…?"

"Yes." Temperance said softly. "Biologically, Parker has a half sister." She said, shifting the little girl on her hip. "You may also want to tell him that." She said, walking past Rebecca toward the door, the woman just stood shocked as she slipped her shoes on. She turned to see Harding standing awkwardly by Rebecca. "Are you coming, Christopher?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as he nodded.

"Yeah…" He said, nodding. He glanced to Rebecca and gave her a half smile. "I'll hope you'll consider coming back home." He said with a half smile, reaching into his pocket he pulled out a business card. "My number…" He said with a polite smile as he slipped his shoes on and followed Temperance out the door.

They heard the door of the house closing behind them as Temperance walked quickly toward the car. "Harding, you drive." She said, tossing the keys over her shoulder without looking, she heard him catch them.

"You want me to drive?" He asked, watching her swing open the back seat door to put Antonia in her car seat.

"Don't look a gift in the horse, Harding." She said, noticing the confused look on his face as he laughed. She was just closing the back seat when she heard a nearly familiar voice behind her.

"Bones?"

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized who it was. She ran through the time in her head, realizing that he wouldn't be at school at this time, it was the summer, of course he wouldn't be in school. She was almost scared to turn around, worried that she had misheard, but when she turned around, sure enough she was met with the kind brown eyes of none other than Parker Booth. "Parker?" She said, seeing the young man in front of her, she was surprised by how tall he had gotten. The young preteen's hair was a bit shorter, but still had that bit of curl to it, his cheeks just a bit less chubby, and his smile just a little crooked, but it was those eyes that gave him away, it was those eyes that always stole her heart. His father's eyes, her daughter's eyes, and Parker.

"Oh my God! It is you!" He exclaimed, dropping his bike to the sidewalk, he ran to her and hugged her tightly, receiving a hug in return. "What are you doing here? I thought I would never see you again!" He exclaimed.

Temperance was at a loss for words, her arms instantly hugging the boy back as he pulled from it suddenly and grinned at her. He was so grown up. She could feel tears prickling her eyes. "You've grown considerably since the last time I saw you." She said, unsure of what to say to him, her eyes filling with tears.

"Uh, yeah! It's been forever! Are you here to visit? Do you want to see the cool house that we have now? Oh Bones! I missed you so much!" He exclaimed, hugging her again.

"I've missed you too, Parker." She whispered.

"They call me John now." He rolled his eyes. "No one is supposed to call me Parker. I think it's stupid, but that's what the cops say we have to do. I am glad you're here." He smiled, his eyes wrinkling a little as he smiled.

"Actually… I… we… we were…" She said, seeing Parker looking into the car, he saw the little girl in the back seat, and the man in the front seat.

"Oh." He said, instantly defeated, his eyes showing the hurt in them. "You were going? Are you going to come back?"

"We might." She said. "I… I don't know, I was here on business… and was… I had to, I needed to see you." She said with a smile. "I missed you." She finally admitted. "You look very well."

"Thanks." He said with a lopsided grin.

"Parker?" She said, glancing to the house, she reached her hand into her purse.

"Yeah?"

"This is for you." She whispered, giving him a friendly smile as she took a folded envelope from her purse, the letter from Booth. "It's for only you, okay?"

"What is it?" He asked curiously as he looked at the worn envelope, his brown eyes staring into hers for a moment, burning into her.

"You'll see when you open it." She smiled, running her hand over his head, she smiled at him. "I should go, okay? Hopefully I'll see you again soon." She said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah." He said with a grin, sliding the envelope into his pocket. "See ya, Bones."

"I'll see you, Parker." She said, a bit wistfully as she waved, watching the boy get on his bike, and ride it quickly down the sidewalk as she looked after him just a minute more, before getting into the passenger seat of the car.


	28. Family First

_**Update 28- Family First**_

Temperance sat in her seat flicking her fingernail across the strap on her purse, and the silence in the car was deafening. Antonia watched her mother's expression and could immediately tell that she was on the verge of crying, so her eyes were directly on her mother's face, and on nothing else as she waited to see what she would say or do.

"It's not fair." Temperance finally said as Harding drove.

"She needs time to think." Harding replied.

"No." She said, glaring at him angrily. "There is nothing to think about. She was placed in protective custody because she was in danger. There is no longer any danger, so she should return."

"But she started a life out here, Temperance." Harding whispered.

"And I started a life as well. I have a child, my career… and I do know that he will be part of my life. I could be bitter, I could be angry, but what would that accomplish? What would that really accomplish? She is being selfish!" Temperance exclaimed, tears springing to her eyes.

"Mama?" Antonia whispered, watching her mother look in her direction, quickly wiping away the tear. "Please don't cry." She said, holding her hand out to her, Temperance turned and held her hand out to the little girl. "Who was that boy?" She asked innocently as Temperance gave her daughter a knowing look.

"A little boy that I knew a long time ago." She said softly, squeezing her daughter's hand.

"Did he make you cry?"

"No, baby… it's okay. Stop worrying so much about mommy crying."

"Are we going to go see daddy now?" She whispered, feeling her mother's grip on her hand loosen, she held her other hand out and gripped her hand with two hands. "Mama?"

"We can call your daddy." She whispered. "We can call him."

"I want to see him." She said stubbornly.

"We are pretty far away from home, sweetheart… we'll see him in a couple of days."

"But I want to see him now." She pouted, her brown eyes twinkling with tears as Temperance held her daughter's hand.

"Antonia." Temperance replied in a motherly tone, her eyes wide, as she made sure that Antonia knew she was serious.

"Mommy." Antonia replied in the exact same tone, as they seemed to be engaged in a staring contest.

"Hey." Harding said, interrupting the obvious tension between mother and daughter. Antonia released her mother's hand and Temperance sat up in her seat, pulling her hand from the back seat. "How about I drop you two off at the hotel, run a couple of errands, and give you a little time to yourself?"

"Harding, just in case you have forgotten… this is my rental car, and…"

"Temperance… it's just an errand or two, it shouldn't take long. I promise that I will not rob any banks or cross the state line with your rental car." He teased.

Temperance watched him for a moment, unsure if she should give in or not, and her eyes passed to the little girl sitting in the back seat, and though she was focused on her mother, and her goal of talking to Booth, her eyes were clouded with sleepiness, and Temperance herself was beginning to feel sleepy. "I suppose that Antonia could use a nap." She said softly to Harding, who nodded and smiled.

"I do not want to take a nap, thank you very much!" Antonia exclaimed from the back seat as the two adults exchanged another look, without a word, knowing full well that she was looking for attention, neither of them had the patience at the moment to deal with it. Harding focused on the road, and Temperance focused back on her lap, and they continued on their way to the hotel.

-----------------

Parker rode his bike quickly down the street, away from the car of his father's old partner. The letter in his pocket seemed to be weighing him down, not physically of course, but emotionally, and his only focus finding someplace quiet and private to open the letter.

He knew that it had to be important if Doctor Brennan had come all the way out here to give it to him, it had to be important. She was a good friend, a friend who he missed so much, a connection to his past, a past that he hoped and prayed that he could get back to soon. It was a past that had haunted him, and called to him every day that he had been away.

He rolled his bike into the quiet playground, climbing the steps on the large jungle gym, he found a secluded place, a plastic tube tunnel that was large enough for him to sit in, the orange reflection making his skin glow as he pulled the letter from his pocket, sitting down, he tore at the paper eagerly, sending bits of paper into the air as he pulled the letter from the envelope, his eyes widening when he saw the handwriting, he focused on it carefully as he gasped, bending over the words, he almost let out a sob.

_Parker,_

_First, and foremost, I love you. I miss you. I don't know when this letter will get to you, but I know that it will get to you. Bones has a way of making things happen, and I knew that she wouldn't let me down. I am not exactly certain what your mother told you about what happened to me, and I know that she may have told you that I had died in that plane crash. I did not die, Parker, and I did not abandon you. I love you very much, and I need to see you again._

_I want to hear how you are doing in school, hockey, with your friends. Most of all, I just need to prove to myself that you're turning into a fine young man, that I didn't mess things up by getting involved in something that was way too complicated for a kid to understand. I am not sure where I am right now, when you're reading this letter, but I know that it was Bones that got it to you. I am either alive, and she knows where I am, or I am dead, and she knows where I am. She will lead you in the right direction, Parker. I trust her more than I ever trusted anyone, and know that you can too. _

_I don't know what else to say, other than I love you, and I miss you. If I died, I did it protecting my family, and if I have survived, my heart is not full until you are back in my life. You are going to be a strong, kind, smart man one day, Parker. I know this because you already have these traits as a boy. Protect yourself and your family if I am not there, they are the most important things in your life, and they will always love you in return._

_I miss you,_

_Dad._

Parker stared at the letter, its words, and its emotion, his eyes pouring over the words and the handwriting, his fingers gently rubbing the paper as if he were trying to figure out if this was a sick joke or not. He jumped when he heard voices of children on the playground equipment, pulling him from his thoughts. His stomach was in knots, his head spinning as he quickly folded the letter and shoved it into the envelope. Carefully, he folded it, and slipped it into his pocket as he crawled out of the tube and down the steps. He jumped onto his bicycle and rode as fast as he could toward his house.

----------

The moment Temperance stepped into the hotel, Antonia turned and reached for the doorknob. "Antonia." Temperance said with authority, her voice deep and serious, and Antonia stopped and looked up at her. "Do you want to call your daddy?"

"Yes… yes, please!" She exclaimed, running toward the bed, she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers for her mother to hand the phone over to her.

"You're going to have to wait a minute, okay?" Temperance said, hearing an angry sigh from the little girl as she put her bag on the bed and pulled out a file folder. She started looking through it for a moment, and she watched Antonia crawl across the bed out of the corner of her eye, the little girl's head resting on the pillow as she watched her mother very carefully.

Temperance pulled at several papers and looked through them, flipping them over as she glanced to Antonia, who was staring at her mother with a very focused stare. If ever there was doubt that Antonia was her daughter, a moment like this would only prove completely the opposite. The jaw was set in that classic 'Brennan' manner, the eyes, though dark brown were wide and unwavering, but the next little tic was most definitely from her father, as the little tongue darted out and wet her lips, and a sigh of intense frustration was released almost exaggeratedly.

Temperance tried to ignore the stare, but knew that it was not at all possible. So she lifted her cell phone into her hand and watched out of the corner of her eye as the little girl sat up, all ready for her phone call. "If I were going to make an assessment on your behavior." Temperance said as she ran through the numbers on the phone, and found the correct one. "I'd have to say that you're a bit overly attached to your father."

"I don't know what that means." Antonia said, holding her hand out, wiggling her fingers.

"It means that you are what would be described in some cultures… as a daddy's girl." She said, listening to the phone ringing. "You're spoiled." She said, as someone answered the phone, and she requested to speak to Booth.

------------

Parker rounded the last corner toward his house and slammed on the foot brake of his bike, skidding to a stop in front of the house. He dropped his bike and ran up the steps, swinging the door open. He ran inside, and looked around, seeing his mother's home office door closed but for a crack, he knew she was in there. He wanted to tell her what he knew, about the letter, about Doctor Brennan, but he had no idea how she would react. They were here on a protective measure, and other than the letter, he didn't even know if Doctor Brennan had spoken to his mother. He was about to knock on the door to her office, when there was the sound of a car in the driveway.

He walked to the window and noticed that the car that Doctor Brennan had been in earlier was parked in the driveway, and the man from the driver's seat was coming toward the house. There was no sign of Doctor Brennan or the little girl from the car. Quickly, he moved to the kitchen, hiding quietly within the confines of that room as he waited to see if he could hear anything that these two adults were going to say. The doorbell rang, and Parker listened to his mother's feet as they padded across the hallway to the front door, and he heard his mother's soft voice speaking to the man. Without a second thought, he slipped down the hallway toward his mother's office, and slid his way into the room without notice.

---------

It didn't take long for Booth to get to the phone, and Temperance avoided it completely at first. She wasn't ready to tell him her real reason for leaving on this impromptu vacation, but she knew that he was probably looking forward to the phone call that she had promised him. As soon as she heard him say her name, she handed the phone to Antonia.

"Daddy!" Antonia exclaimed excitedly into the phone, her smile was bright, and her eyes glittered as she looked up at Temperance, turning around, she walked away with the phone as Temperance watched her walk to the other side of the bed holding the phone to her ear as she listened to the man on the other line, her eyes on her mother, as if she feared she'd take the phone.

"Toni." Booth's voice drained of the tension he had been feeling since Max had left. To hear her voice made him the happiest man in the world, at least that's what he would argue. "I miss you." His words blurted out quickly, as if she'd disappear before he could get it out.

"I miss you, Daddy." She said sweetly as she leaned on the bed and stared across at Temperance. "Mommy misses you too."

"She does?"

"Uh huh." She said as she smiled into the phone. "We're going to come see you now."

"Antonia." Temperance spoke sharply, and the little girl jumped, her eyes widening.

"Oh, I don't think you're going to come see me just yet." Booth whispered. "It's okay… you're on vacation… you're visiting a new place."

"Uh huh…" Antonia replied. "Its boring here… Ace and Mommy keep fighting, and…"

"Ace is there?" Booth asked quickly.

"Antonia." Temperance said, reaching for the phone.

"Yes, and he and Mommy fight a lot… he made Mommy cry."

"He did not make me cry." Temperance said, reaching for the phone. "Let me talk to Daddy."

"Why did he make her cry?" Booth asked the little girl, anxious to get as much information as possible from the little girl before Temperance shut him out.

"Mommy told him to get out of the car… she wanted to yell at him real bad, he was being mad." She said, running around the side of the bed from Temperance, she climbed over it as Temperance came around the corner, reaching for the little girl as she scrambled.

"Why did mommy tell him to get out of the car?"

"I don't know… but he was mad…" She said, stopping on the bed, she saw Temperance coming at her and rolled off the bed with the phone, running across the room.

"Antonia, give me the phone." Temperance exclaimed, still chasing her daughter, she was becoming more and more frustrated with each passing second, Antonia turned and ended up in the corner.

"Can I talk to mommy, please?" Booth asked, hearing the scuffle on the other side of the line, he knew that she was probably upset that Antonia was giving things away.

"Uh huh." Antonia said, just as Temperance cornered her, she handed the phone to her mother and ran around her, hopping over the beds, she rolled between the two beds and peeked out at her mother as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She said, her voice was apprehensive and concerned.

"You lied to me." He said, his words were not filled with anger, but they weren't exactly inviting either.

"Booth?"

"You lied to me, Bones." He said softly.

"Booth, I was… I don't… who did you talk to?" She whispered.

"Does it matter?"

"I… was… I was trying to… I… what do you know?" She whispered.

"Everything other than how it turned out." He said, the hopeful tinge in his voice making her stomach twist angrily.

"This is why I didn't tell you." She whispered.

"Bones?" She hadn't even said anything, and his voice already sounded tortured. "What did you do?"

"I told her the truth." She whispered. "I told her that you were alive, that you needed your family."

"How did you find them?"

"I threatened the federal marshals that I would put Parker's picture on the news as a missing child." She admitted rightfully.

"Bones!" He laughed, more out of nervousness than anything else. "You can get arrested for things like that!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah." She said, feeling her face burning with a bit of embarrassment. "You're worth it." She whispered. She listened to the pause for a very long time, and after a moment, she swallowed hard. "She did not seem very receptive to the idea." She whispered.

"But you saw her?" Booth replied, his voice was tentative and calm.

"I did."

"Ace is with you?"

"He's here, in Boulder with us, yes. Though, he appears to have ulterior motives, he has agreed that our primary goal is to get Parker back to you." She replied honestly. "Booth?"

"Yes?"

"I saw him." She heard a sharp intake of breath over the like, like a strangled breath that he was afraid to let out. "He looks well, Booth." She whispered. "He gave me a hug." The smile in her voice was evident, and she glanced to her daughter sitting on the bed watching intently. "I gave him the letter."

"You gave him the letter?" He whispered.

"That's what you wanted me to do, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He said, releasing a held breath. "Yeah, Bones… that's what I wanted you to do." He said, his voice sounding more relaxed than she could remember. "Thank you, Bones." He said softly, his voice broken slightly as he listened to the sigh on her end of the line. "Thank you so much… for everything." He whispered. "I… I don't even… I don't even know what to say." He whispered.

"This is what friends do for friends, right?" She asked. "This is what family is about."

"Right." He whispered. "So… they're in Boulder?" He whispred.

"Yes." She replied, releasing a deep breath, she relaxed and sat on the bed. "Boulder…"

"And he looks good… healthy? Happy?"

"He looked very happy… very healthy… and so much like you, that it is almost startling." She said with a wistful smile on her lips.

"And he gave you a hug?" Booth asked, a smile on his face.

"He even called me 'Bones'." She said, hearing the tender chuckle on the other end of the line.

"I love you, Bones." He whispered.

"That is one thing that I will never doubt." She replied tenderly. "There is someone here sitting very patiently waiting to speak to you again."

"Put her on the phone." He said, a smile in his tone as he listened to Temperance's laugh as she handed the phone off to the little girl beside her.

"Hi, Daddy." She said sweetly, glancing up at her mother.

"Hey, Baby girl. You be a good girl for your Mama."

"I will." She replied.

"Make sure she smiles, and tell her that she's beautiful for me."

"I will."

"I love you… up and down…"

"Round and round, through and through… up and down… I love you, too." She replied, smiling as Booth chuckled over the line at the little rhyme that he had taught her. "Bye, Daddy." She said softly.

"Bye, Baby." Booth said, listening to the click on the line. He stared at the phone for a moment, his eyes focused on the receiver as he realized that he had a tear rolling down his cheek. He quickly wiped it and put the phone down, moving back toward the door, he indicated to the guard that he was finished.

The guard walked in, cuffed him quietly and allowed him to continue inside his head, his mind obviously working something out, for he had a look of intense concentration on his face. They walked out of the door and down the hallway turning the corner, the guard's radio beeped. He stopped for a second, pulling Booth lightly to the wall as he answered the radio. There were several words exchanged and Booth waited, his mind filled with its own static, that when the guard turned him back down toward the telephone room again, he was very confused. "What's going on?" Booth asked.

"Telephone call…"

"Another one?"

"Maybe your girl forgot something." The guard teased as Booth rolled his eyes and walked inside as the guard unlocked his handcuffs and let him into the room.

Booth sat down at the table and lifted the phone to his ear, he smiled tenderly as he sighed. "Hey." He said into the line, fully expecting to hear Temperance's voice ringing back in his ear.

"Dad?" A voice that was clearly not Temperance shot through the line and into his heart as he nearly stood up from the shock.

"Parker?" Booth managed to choke out.

"Dad, is that really you?" The boy exclaimed, as he shot his father into a moment of stunned silence.


	29. Willing Sacrifice

_**Update 29- Willing Sacrifice**_

Harding stood inches from Rebecca, their eyes on one another's as they spoke in quiet whispers. He reached for her hand, and she wanted to pull away, but his eyes were boring into hers. "It's safe, Beck, I promise."

"Chris, I can't do this to him." She whispered, letting her hand remain in his. "Not again, not if he's going to keep putting himself in danger. Isn't it just easier to just let Parker believe that he's dead? Isn't it just…"

"Easier is not always the best way, Rebecca. If he finds out that Seeley is alive, he is going to resent you for the rest of his life."

"He doesn't have to find out." She said, her voice determined, her eyes staring angrily into his.

"Find out what?" Parker said from the doorway of his mother's office, his hand was behind his back and he was staring at his mother with an angry scowl.

"Sweetheart." Rebecca said as she approached him, glaring at Harding for a moment, Parker took a step back away from his mother.

"No!" Parker said angrily.

"John…" She said, the name that she had been calling him for the past three years.

"My name is Parker!" He exclaimed suddenly. "Who is he?" Parker asked, pointing at Harding, his eyes were red from crying, and his teeth were gritted in a fit of intense anger. "Who is he, Mom?" He exclaimed.

"This is an old friend of mine, John… this is Chris. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"My Name is Parker! Parker John Booth! I'm going with Doctor Brennan!" He said strongly, his mother's jaw dropping at the mention of her name. She had no idea that Parker had seen her, she didn't even think that he would remember her.

"Why… why would you…? What are you talking about?" She said, feigning misunderstanding, but the little boy stood his ground. His chest puffed out and he glared at his mother, his teeth gritting even harder.

"I think he knows, Rebecca." Harding said as her eyes shot darts at him suddenly, he shook his head as he tried to soften the blow with his words. "He knows, Rebecca."

"He doesn't know anything." She growled through an angry scowl, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"I know that dad is alive."

"Sweetheart…"

"No!" Parker exclaimed. "I know he's alive because I'm talking to him right now on the phone!" He shouted, showing his mother the phone, she reached for it.

"Parker!"

"No! If I give you the phone, then you'll just hang up on him! He's my dad! He's my dad and you told me he was dead! You told me he was gone forever! If he was gone forever, then why is he on the phone!"

"Give me the phone, Parker!" She exclaimed as Parker ran around the table from his mother, still holding the phone in his hand. She followed him around the table, her heart was beating wildly in her chest, her mind racing. "How did you find a phone number?"

"It was in those papers that Doctor Brennan left, Rebecca." Chris called, watching the chasing game between mother and son, he was feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Parker John! Give me the phone!" She exclaimed desperately as he held the phone against his chest as if it were his lifeline, staring across the table at his mother.

"Promise me we can go see him with Doctor Brennan! Promise me we can go see him!" He exclaimed.

"Parker, there is a lot of…"

"PROMISE ME!" He screamed, his face turning red as he slammed his fist on the table. "I want to see my father!" He screamed, tears of rage pouring down his face as he watched his mother lunge toward him, only to have the man that stood behind her grab her around her waist, he pulled her to him, and Parker watched as his mother did not fight back against this stranger, she just stared at him, completely out of willpower. The man whispered in her ear and she shook her head, Parker kept his eyes on his mother. "Promise me, Mom." He said, tears rolling down his cheeks. "It's him, it's really him… please… please just… please?" He sobbed. "Just… talk to him." Parker said, reluctant to hand over the phone to his mother, he pushed it to his ear. "Dad?" He said, his voice was full of sadness, full of despair, and Booth could hear it.

"I'm still here." Booth replied, his words sending tears to his eyes as he listened to the sigh of relief on the other end of the line.

"Tell Mom that we need to come home." He said, sniffling as the man across the room allowed Rebecca to walk toward him. Tell her I love you… that you love us, and that you need us to come home." He said, his voice filled with such an untamable torture that Booth could feel his heart breaking, quite literally.

"I'll tell her. I love you, Bud… I love you very much."

"I love you, Dad. I love you… here's Mom." He said, handing the phone to Rebecca, there was a long pause.

"Seeley?" She finally managed to whisper, her breath sucking in as she tried to prepare herself for the conversation to come.

------------

Temperance's eyes fell once again to the clock, it had been nearly three hours since Harding had dropped them off, and she couldn't think of any errands that would take that long, not for a man who has never been to this particular city, or so she thought. She smiled to herself a bit cheekily as she turned the page on her book. "He probably got lost." She whispered under her breath as she looked up at the sound of the doorknob rattling a bit before the handle pushed down and a slightly bedraggled Harding stepped into the room.

He noted the little girl, sleeping quite comfortably against her mother's legs, her stuffed elephant gripped ever so tightly in her hands as Temperance raised her eyebrows at him. "I bet you're hungry." He said with a sheepish grin, and he noted the lack of emotion on her face and knew that she was not humored in the least. "You're probably wondering where I went." He said, crossing his arms over his chest as she tipped her head curiously, still not saying another word. "Well, I got lost."

"Figures." She said, looking down at her book, she flipped the page and sighed. "And to answer your earlier question, yes… I'm quite hungry."

"Well let's get going… wake up sleeping beauty, and we'll be on our way!" He said with a smile. He tried to hide the emotions behind it, but in her years with Booth, and even more so in her time without him, she had taken to watching people very closely for any sign of lying or deceit, and she could tell from many of Harding's mannerisms that there was something that he was not telling her. Instead of pressing, however, she leaned over gently and ran her fingers through her daughter's soft hair, attempting to wake little girl, without sending her into a grumpy post nap slump.

---------

Focused on finding a place to eat, Temperance kept her eyes outside the car while Harding drove them around the city. She told him that she was letting him drive as punishment for abandoning them for three hours in the hotel room without calling, when in reality, she just didn't feel like being behind the wheel. Her mind was far too cluttered, and her thoughts of the tasks ahead were far too thought provoking for her to focus on driving the car at the moment.

"You know, there's not really a lot to do in Boulder." Harding said as he drove, glancing to Temperance, he noticed she wasn't looking at him. "I mean, there's some natural stuff, a few museums, but nothing really cool."

"Are you saying that museums aren't interesting?" Temperance asked, turning her face to give Harding an incredulous look.

"No! No…" He laughed at his remark and shook his head. "No… museums are cool in their own right, but you know… things for kids… like Antonia's age."

"Antonia enjoys the museums in Washington."

"Except the dinosaurs, Mommy."

"Except the dinosaurs." Temperance nodded.

"We don't do dinosaurs, right, Mommy?"

"Correct." Temperance smiled as she looked back at her little girl, her smile was bright and knowing and her eyes sparkled. "I'm sure you had a point in your little escapade just there to see how far you could fit your foot down your throat."

"In my mouth… its put my foot in my mouth."

"Oh, I know what the saying is, Harding…" She said with a knowing smile that made him laugh out loud.

"Very funny… clever…"

"I have been told that I am quite amusing." She said, sighing wistfully. "There… we can eat at that place right there."

"Are you sure, it looks a little run down…"

"I really don't care, Harding… I just want to eat dinner." She said as Harding pulled up to the restaurant and looked back at Antonia. "So are you going to tell me why you were mentioning the many places that are not in Boulder?"

"I was just thinking that we could take a trip to Denver for a day or two… before we leave on Friday. There's no use wasting our time in the hotel room. There's a children museum there, they have the Denver Zoo, an amusement park, there's…"

"Stop." Temperance said, holding her hand out to him as she turned to see Antonia becoming quite excited at the prospect of all of this fun. "Just… stop, okay? We're not here for fun… this isn't vacation, the three of us… are not a family… we don't do family things together, okay?"

"Fine, then you can do those things with her alone, I was just suggesting, since we have so much time here, we could…"

"But we don't have a lot of time here… I have to go back to Rebecca's… I have to come up with another way for her to understand the importance of all of this. She needs to sign the form, she needs to go back to Washington." She stated clearly, concisely and very seriously.

"You mean this form?" Harding said, pulling a folder from the door, he turned it around and unfolded the folder so that she could see inside it.

"Christopher." She said, as soon as she saw the signed paper, releasing Rebecca and Parker from witness protection. "This… this doesn't mean anything other than she agreed not to have U.S. Marshall protection. This is just the first step."

"Yes… and I have her word that she will be on that plane to Washington on Friday morning."

"Her word." Temperance said, giving him an incredulous look that made him smile.

"Yeah, her word… trust me, Doc… it's all you're going to get unless we handcuff her and Parker to the plane until Friday."

"There's a thought." She mumbled to herself as Harding let out a soft chuckle.

"Don't worry, Temperance, they'll be there."

"I want to hear it from her."

"We can call if you want." He said, watching her stare into him sharply, he could feel her cutting holes in his skin with her steely stare.

"Perhaps after we eat." She said, letting out a resigning sigh, she looked to Antonia, who had been watching the entire exchange with careful pause. "Let's go my little princess…"

"Can we call daddy after we eat?" She asked as Temperance climbed out of the passenger side, opened Antonia's door and lifted her into his arms.

"Maybe we can." She said, kissing the little girl's cheek. "But I think the people watching daddy are getting pretty tired of bringing him to the phone."

"Then we need to bring him home." Antonia said with a sweet smile that made Temperance smile back.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do, princess." She said, kissing the little girl's cheek again, she followed Harding toward the restaurant doors.


	30. Returning Home

_**Update 30- Returning Home**_

It was 6am in Denver, and Temperance was pacing back and forth maniacally in the airport terminal. "Doc, you should really try sitting down." Harding said, knowing that it was a mistake as soon as he said the words. She stopped, and turned her glare onto him, and if he knew any better, he would have thought that by that stare alone, he could turn to stone. "She'll be here, I promise."

"We will be boarding in two minutes, Harding." She said, her voice was shaking with frustration, and her eyes fell upon her daughter, who sit watching her mother, her feet dangling from the chair as she gave her a supportive smile.

"I love you, Mommy." She said, tipping her head as Temperance smiled, crouching in front of her little girl, she ran her fingers through her hair, and accepted a hug from the small arms that stretched out for her.

"You see that? She knows what to say to me…" Temperance said, lifting her daughter into her arms, the little girl rested her head on her shoulder as Temperance resumed her pacing.

"If I said that to you, I have no doubt that you'd punch me." Harding replied.

"I'm glad that you understand our boundaries, Agent Harding." She said sternly, glancing over toward the podium as they announced the flight was boarding business class passengers. She turned her glare onto Harding again.

"She'll be here, Doc… just get on the plane, get Antonia settled… and I assure you, they will be on the flight.

"If they don't get on the plane, Agent Harding, you will not want to be getting on the plane either. Just a little something for you to think about while you're waiting." She said, turning to grab her bag and Antonia's bag, she pulled them into her arms and marched toward the podium with her tickets.

Temperance and Antonia were settled in their seats as wave after wave of people boarded the flight. She attempted to keep her anxiety at bay by doing breathing exercises and relaxation exercises, answering Antonia's questions, all the while trying to keep herself from just bursting into tears, when she heard a familiar voice. She opened her eyes, just as she saw his face, and a smile just lit up her features.

As soon as he saw her, a smile lit up his face as well. "Bones!" Parker exclaimed, almost literally leaping into her seat to embrace her, she squeezed him tightly as she tried to fight back the tears that were threatening to pour down her cheeks. "We're going home." He said into her shoulder. "We're finally going home."

Temperance looked up to see Rebecca walking onto the plane, her eyes were on Temperance, and Harding was right behind her. "Hey, Park…" Harding said, watching the boy turn his head toward Harding, the man nodded toward his seat on the other side of Temperance. "You can have my seat, if I can have yours."

He broke from his embrace with Temperance and looked to his mother, who nodded her head, and looked Temperance in the eyes. Temperance mouthed the words 'thank you', and she pulled the boy by his shoulders so that she could see his face. Rebecca and Harding moved to their seats, and she glanced to Antonia. "Parker. I want you to meet someone." Parker tilted his head and looked to the little girl who was sitting, staring curiously at the boy who was hugging her mother. He looked strangely familiar, and she wasn't sure why, but she wasn't nervous, though she had noticed that her mother had tears in her eyes. "This is my daughter, Antonia. Antonia, this is Parker."

"Hi." The little girl waved, pushing her head into her mother's arm, Parker gave a friendly smile.

"Hey." He said, glancing to Temperance, who smiled at their awkward interaction. There was an announcement that the plane would be taking off soon, and Parker turned and sat down in his seat beside Temperance, buckling himself in as he smiled over at her. "I talked to dad."

"He told me." She said, recalling her conversation with Booth during the week, his excitement was palpable, and she could sense the eagerness in his voice when he spoke. "He is so very excited to see you, Parker. He has missed you so much."

"Hi, Parker." Antonia said from the other side of Temperance, her tiny hand waving in the air, as if she were practicing waving, practicing saying his name. "You can call me Ant… that's what my Uncle Bugs calls me… and Oompa…"

"That's Hodgins, and Max." Temperance whispered to Parker, who nodded his head in understanding.

"I'll get to see them too?" He asked excitedly, smiling at Temperance, who nodded, a sense of peace washing over her as she looked between the two children and smiled to herself as they announced that the doors of the plane were closing. She was bringing Booth his family back to him, and her heart seemed to warm at the thought, knowing that she could bring just a little more peace of mind, and peace of heart.

The flight was long, but satisfying and not at all tiring for Temperance. When the plane landed in Washington, Temperance glanced to her side, having moved amid the flight, the two children had taken to coloring together, and chattering back and forth happily, and Temperance was more than willing to allow them to bond. They didn't know they were half siblings, and she didn't feel the immediate need to bring such a heavy and confusing topic onto the two of them at this time. Antonia wouldn't know what it meant, and it appeared that Parker was already overwhelmed with the thought of seeing his father again, to throw on the extra baggage of a sibling to the mix could be perceived as torturous and unnecessary. She knew that they would learn the truth eventually, and there was no need to pressure them into that knowledge.

"And when we went the… um… to the… um zoo… I saw a real elephant… it was huge!" Antonia exclaimed as Parker nodded and smiled.

"Even baby elephants are huge!" He said, holding his arms out to demonstrate, the two children giggled and the announcement was made over the loudspeaker that they could exit the plane. Temperance unbuckled the seatbelt and stood up, as did Parker as they gathered their things and waited for everyone to exit the plane, she reached for Antonia's hand, but found that she was far too busy talking to Parker to pay attention to her mother.

"They really got along well, didn't they?" Rebecca said as she approached Temperance, who nodded and smiled, then rolled her eyes to show her faux annoyance at the delay the little girl was causing.

"Ant, come on… it's time to go… hold mommy's hand."

"I'm holding Parker's hand." She said, grabbing onto the boy's hand with both of hers, Temperance sighed and shrugged as she grabbed their carryon bags.

"It's okay, Bones… I'll hold her hand… Let's go, Ant…" he said with a smile as Temperance led the two children from their seat, followed by Rebecca and Harding, the last five people off the plane.

They walked down the long hallway toward the terminal door, and entered the terminal together, looking around at the bustling airport. Temperance slowed to a stop as she suddenly realized that they really had no plan, and she had no idea where Parker and Rebecca were staying. She turned, noting that Harding was walking with his hand tucked at the small of Rebecca's back, and she quickly snatched up Antonia's hand as she moved to the side, stopping again, and Temperance looked at Rebecca. "Where were you going to be staying?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant, Antonia pulled her hand from her mother's and pulled at Parker, who was looking in one of the stores that they were standing beside, holding onto Antonia's hand as he waited for the adults.

"I told Rebecca that she and Parker could stay at my place… did you have other arrangements?"

"I hadn't made any, but any arrangements can be made." She said, feeling a bit awkward, watching the children out of the corner of her eye. "I just… I don't think it would be appropriate for me to be at the facility when Parker sees Booth. It's their moment… and… so I was… are you going right there?"

"We were going to go right now." Rebecca nodded, noting Temperance's uncomfortable stance. "I don't think Parker can hold in his excitement anymore… and Seeley seemed very eager."

"Okay." Temperance said softly, and then turned for Antonia. "Toni, let's go." She said, watching the little girl look up at her mother, she shook her head. "Toni, Big A and Oompa are waiting for us at home, they are very excited to hear about our trip."

"But I don't want to go!" She exclaimed. "I want to go with Parker, he's going to go see his daddy… I want to go see my daddy!" She exclaimed.

"We'll see your daddy tomorrow." She said, reaching for the little girl's hand, she whipped it away from Temperance. "Antonia Elyse…" She said sternly, the little girl glared at her mother. "I promise." She said, holding her hand out. "Please."

"You're not going with us to see dad, Bones?" Parker asked.

"We'll see him tomorrow, Parker. I want this to be your time with your dad." She said as he nodded his head, and then hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, Bones… thanks for finding dad…" He said against her as he squeezed her tightly.

She didn't know what to say to the boy as she glanced to Rebecca, who walked over toward them with Harding. "Tell him I said hi, okay? That we'll see him tomorrow."

"I'll tell him." Parker said as he turned toward Antonia. "It was nice to meet you, Ant." He said with a smile.

"Knuckles!" She exclaimed, holding out her fist, Parker let out a laugh as he glanced to Temperance, he reached his fist out and bumped it with hers.

And with that, Parker turned with Rebecca and Harding, and the three walked down the terminal together, disappearing around the corner as Temperance gathered her luggage and her daughter, and made her way home alone, surprised that the light feeling that she had been feeling just moments before, had faded to a rock in the pit of her stomach.


	31. A Time To Cry

_**Update 31- A Time To Cry**_

He had been a prisoner for weeks, yet this was the first time that Booth actually felt like a caged animal. He paced back and forth through his cell, and knew that the guard that was doing his rounds had noticed. The later the afternoon dragged on, the more agitated the prisoner in cell 260C became, his body seemed to just hum with anticipation, and there was an air about him of anxiety mixed with excitement, perhaps a bit of regret, and most obvious was fear.

Booth was very cognizant of each and every one of these feelings. He had talked extensively with Temperance the previous night, and she had informed him of their arrival time. Their discussion had become quite heated when she insisted that she not be present when Parker visited, but eventually he had relented, understanding her rational state of mind, he appeased her by agreeing that it would be easier on him, and easier on the boy if there were little witness to the reunion. She had agreed, however that she would bring Antonia to see him the next day, and for that he was grateful. He had noticed a sense of wistfulness in her voice, and had asked her to tell him what was on her mind, but in typical Temperance fashion, she claimed that she was fine.

* * *

_"Booth." He answered the phone, though he knew exactly who was on the line for him, he waited for a moment at the pause._

_"I'm still not used to hearing it." She replied, her voice was soft and a little different, maybe because she was smiling, but maybe it was something else._

_"Bones." He smiled the word through the phone to her, her name, her legacy, the memories of each and every time he had uttered that word always flooded back to both of them when he said it. "You'll be home tomorrow?"_

_"We'll all be home tomorrow." She replied, her voice held that affectionate, shy tone that she seemed to get when she talked to him since their first real conversation, since that kiss, since their actual confession, since the truth was revealed. There was a very long pause, and she knew that he wanted her to continue, but she was finding it very difficult to express her fears at this moment, so she took a deep breath. "I miss you."_

_"I miss you, Bones." He replied without pause. "You're afraid." He replied softly, getting no response, he heard the sigh through the line and he smiled sadly. "It's okay, Bones. They're coming home… you're all coming home… they'll show up."_

_"I envy you." She whispered._

_"You envy me?" He said, a chuckled response as he listened to a slight whimper on the line. "What's wrong, Bones… you sound really upset."_

_"I'll be alright… I'm just feeling incredibly thoughtful tonight. I just want to go to bed, and get on that plane, just so I can get home and sleep in my own bed."_

_"When will you be here?" He asked, listening to her sigh in the phone, he felt his stomach knotting. "Bones?"_

_"The flight will be in at nearly one in the afternoon tomorrow, eastern standard, and I assume that Rebecca will be coming directly to see you with Parker."_

_"You're not coming to see me tomorrow?"_

_"Booth, I don't think that it would be wise for me to accompany Rebecca to see you. There are… many things that the two of you need to discuss, and if I were to be there, I'd just end up being a third wheel, and besides… this is a reunion between you and Parker, I don't need to be there for that, it's his moment."_

_"But I want you to be here." He stated clearly. "I need you to be here."_

_"Booth, it's not a good idea."_

_"It's a fine idea, Bones! Why do you have to be so goddamned stubborn?" He exclaimed, obviously becoming more emotional than angry, he listened to the silence over the line and swallowed, feeling tears prickling his eyes. "I'm sorry, Bones." He whispered, still hearing nothing but silence over the line, "Bones, please… I'm really sorry… Just… when will I see you again?" He whispered._

_"Saturday." She replied simply._

_"Bones?" He whispered. "Please don't be mad at me."_

_"I'm not angry with you." She replied softly. "I understand your frustration, but I'm just doing what is best for Parker. This will be stressful as it is for him… and to have another set of eyes on him will only make it more difficult for him. The fewer people there, the better it will be for him, do you understand?"_

_"I understand." He whispered, feeling whipped, feeling beaten down._

_"Booth?" She said, her voice imploring and gentle._

_"Yeah, Bones?"_

_"I love you." She whispered simply._

_He couldn't help but smile at the simple confession, the tenderness and sweet sound of her voice uttering those words had always been a dream. "I love you, Bones." He said, as their conversation continued for a few more minutes, before she had to go in order to get ready for dinner._

* * *

He looked to the clock, something he had specially requested for his cell so that he could keep track of the days and hours he was locked away, and just as he sat down on the bed, the guard's key slammed into the lock. Booth nearly tripped over himself to stand up, he felt the pull at his ribs, but the pain didn't matter, he watched the guard smile.

"A little eager there, huh, Booth?" He said, with a friendly smile.

"You have no idea." He said, turning to have the cuffs put on, he was escorted down the familiar hallway toward the visitation room. He stepped up to the window and saw that it was empty, and glanced back at the guard. "You know, I hate that you can't just let them in first… I feel like you're just teasing me."

"Couple more weeks, and you won't need a date every time you want to see your family, huh?"

"Yeah." Booth said as the guard led him into the room and unlocked the handcuffs, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Enjoy your visit, man." He said, moving out of the room, he closed it behind him as Booth remained standing, waiting for the moment that he would be able to see his son once again. He stood with his eyes on that door, his stomach was in knots as he felt the sudden desire to throw up, or laugh, or cry, maybe all at the same time. His heart was pounding in his chest and in his ears, his hands clenched in anticipation as he listened to the sound of the gates being closed outside the door. He could hear voices, and the footsteps of people, and when the door opened, Booth thought for a moment that either his heart had stopped, or had gone so fast that it exploded, because the pain in his chest was crushing, until the moment his eyes met his son's.

The split second of confusion on Parker's face nearly killed Booth, but it was so fast that only a trained sniper would have seen it, the reaction to everyone else was instant, and the time it took for Parker to reach his father's arms was mere nanoseconds, but to both Parker and Booth, it felt like that time alone had taken years.

"Dad!" Parker's voice exclaimed with a screeching exuberance like Booth had never heard and the second that boy's arms were around him, his own arms were embracing him as if he would disappear if he let go. The impact of the crash of the little boy into Booth's body was so massive that he could feel every bone and every muscle that ached react with a sudden shot of pain, but to have his son in his arms, that pain was nothing, insignificant, and worth every excruciating sting. The moment father and son were in one another's arms, Booth crashed to his knees and gathered the boy in his arms as the boy began to sob, frantically burying himself in his father's embrace. Booth continued to hold him, running his fingers through his hair, holding him tenderly, telling him how truly he missed him, how absolute his love for him is, and how he promised that he would never leave him again, ever.

Parker's tears fell free from his eyes, dropping feverishly onto his father's shoulder as Booth's own tears streamed down his cheeks, his eyes closed as he breathed in the moment as if that moment itself were keeping him alive. Booth moved suddenly, taking the boy's cheeks in his hand, he held him at eye level and just stared at him as the boy cried, tears streaming down his tanned face as he struggled to just hug his father. "Let me look at you, Parker… just let me look at you for a second." Booth said against the boy's struggles, and after a moment he, himself reached up and touched his father's face as they stared into one another's eyes, and in that moment, the years that they had spent apart were suddenly erased as their foreheads touched, their eyes finally meeting, and father and son began to laugh.


	32. The Gift

_**Update 32-The Gift**_

"Are you sure, Sweetie?" Angela said for the fifteenth time since they had begun the trip, and from the look on Temperance's face, she knew she was sure. "I just don't want to make things awkward, you know… I'm sure things are already awkward between you two, and you know that I'm still really, really… really mad at him, like really."

"Ange… really?" Temperance said, her head shaking slightly, partially out of amusement, partially out of disbelief.

"Okay, not… mad, but irritated… I'm really, really, really irritated." Angela nodded.

"Really?" Antonia piped in from the back seat, her grin was bright and happy, and she was holding a tiny box in her hands that was wrapped neatly.

"Alright, peanut gallery…" Angela said to the little girl, who scrunched up her face.

"I don't know what that means." She replied, looking out of the window as Angela pulled the car into the parking space.

"I just need some moral support, Ange. I just need someone to be here with me, I don't know."

"I understand, sweetie… it's all very confusing." Angela replied, climbing from the car, she watched Antonia yank her seatbelt off and practically vault herself from the car seat on the way to the door so that Angela would open it for her.

"I am not confused, Angela." She said, pausing as she got out of the car, she looked at her friend across the car. "I am very sure on what has happened, and needs to happen. I just need someone to back me up, and ensure that I am not overemotional, or unreasonable."

"I know, sweetie… of course." Angela nodded, agreeing with her friend as she gave a glance to the back seat, where Antonia had taken to pushing her face up against the window in anticipation of the door to open. "What on earth are you doing with that pretty little face of yours?" Angela asked as she watched Antonia move away from the window, and she opened the door.

The little girl tumbled from the car and grabbed hold of Angela's hand. "I was smooshed… did you see that, Big A?" She asked, laughing as Angela shook her head and laughed, lifting the little girl into her arms.

"I saw…"

"Alright, enough talk, let's go see daddy now…" She said, holding tight to the little package in her hand as she looked back at her mother, who was standing by the car for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "Come on, Mama!" Antonia exclaimed, watching Temperance shake herself out of her thoughts. She caught Angela's concerned eye, and shook her head.

"I'm fine, Ange." She said, putting her sunglasses on as they walked toward the building.

"Sure you are…" Angela sighed as she shook her head and walked toward the front doors of the facility.

Booth had given up pacing, he knew that Temperance would be there at the exact time she had said she'd be there. She hadn't been late once for any of their meetings or phone calls, so he knew that she would be right on time. Also, after his time with Parker the day before, he had found that so much weight had been lifted from his shoulders, which gave him the reasons for why he couldn't help but smile. The smile was a bit muted, waiting patiently for the door to open; he looked up at the sound of his daughter's animated voice coming from just beyond the door. The only thing he could really hear and understand was something she kept saying, each sentence, one word… 'daddy', and it just lifted his heart so much. It had been a week since he had seen her, and his heart was breaking, but the moment the door opened, those pink shoes came scurrying across the floor so quickly that they were a blur, and his eyes were on nothing but those brown eyes for those several seconds.

He bent down and scooped her into his arms, her ponytails bobbing joyfully as she squealed in excitement. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" She exclaimed, and soon his face was receiving kiss after kiss, as her hands touched his cheeks, and she rested her forehead on his. "I missed you SO much!"

"I missed you too." He said with a laugh as he glanced toward the door, noticing Temperance stepping into the room shyly, followed by none other than a face that he hadn't seen up close in years. "Angela."

"Booth." She said, crossing her arms over her chest in faux protest, she gave him a look of anger, though it was mixed with happiness, he could see it in her eyes.

"Daddy, I want you to meet someone…" Antonia said, ignoring the obvious fact that they knew one another, she wiggled from his arms, and immediately grabbed Booth's hand as she looked up at him. "Daddy, this is my friend Big A… she's mommy's best friend, and sometimes she lets me come to her house and do fingerpaints, she's real cool, you'll like her, and she'll like you… I told her so." Antonia said proudly as she looked between the two adults. Booth wiggled his fingers from Antonia's and felt the little girl cling to his leg, looking up at Angela, she waited patiently for them to talk or shake hands, anything. "Big A… this is my daddy, you can hug, it's okay."

"Thanks, Little A." Angela said, with raised eyebrows.

"No problem."

Temperance stood back and watched the two of them as well, she wasn't sure whether Angela wanted to hug him, or beat him to a pulp with her purse, and at this point, either one or both could happen, and she knew that Booth was ready for both of them.

"I am not happy with you." Angela finally spoke.

"I know."

"You… did a lot of damage." She said, shaking her head.

"I know." He nodded.

"But you've also been through a lot of crap too." She said, tilting her head as if she were analyzing the situation, analyzing him.

"Yeah." He nodded, his eyes flickering to Temperance, he could see a ghost of a smirk on her lips as she nodded toward Angela. His eyes moved to the artist and he watched as she glared at him. He was still unsure of whether or not he should duck.

"Not to mention that you look like crap."

"Thanks, Angela."

"And you saved their lives…" Angela said, challenging him with her eyes.

"Yes."

"Though, they wouldn't have been in…"

Instead of dealing with any more of the inquisition, Booth took a step forward, wrapping his arms around the woman in front of him, he immediately felt her arms around him, her lips finding his cheek as she closed her eyes and hugged him tightly. "I missed you, Ange."

"I missed you too, you big dummy." She said, pulling from the hug, she put her hands on his cheeks and shook her head. "Don't you ever die on us again, do you understand?" She whispered.

"I have no intention to." He said, a smile rising on his lips as he hugged her again, he pulled from the hug and looked to Temperance, who took two quick strides and nearly tackled him with a hug, tears springing to her eyes, she gripped him tightly. "Whoa, Bones…" He said as he held onto her tightly. "Hey…" He said, holding her as she held him so tightly, she didn't think for a moment that she could be hurting him. "Bones…" He whispered. "You're crushing me…" He whispered, noticing that Angela was looking on surprised, and his eyes moved to Antonia, who also looked extremely concerned.

"I missed you." She finally whimpered into his shoulder. "I'm sorry…" She said, pulling from the hug, she avoided eye contact as she ran her finger over her cheek to wipe away the tears. "I'm sorry… I… I'm sorry." She said, rubbing her face with her hand, she held onto him, but refused to look at him until her tears disappeared, but the moment he whispered her name again, the tears continued. He pulled her into a hug, holding her close as she just hugged him.

"Mama?" Antonia said, tugging at her mother's shirt. "Mama? Mama, are you okay? Mama?" She said, her voice was filled with a lot of concern, and Angela scooped her up into her arms, she started to walk toward the chairs. "No… No, I need to see if Mama is okay…"

"She's okay…" Angela said, glancing to her friend, her head buried in Booth's neck as he held her close. "She just needs a second."

"But she's crying… she's crying, why is she crying?"

"She missed your daddy. Let's just give her a minute…" Angela said, glancing to them as she pulled out of the hug for a second, resting her forehead on his.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, trying to catch her breath. "I'm sorry."

"No…" he said, shaking his head as he held her, looking into her eyes, he gave her a supportive smile. "It's okay… I missed you too." He said, watching as she tried to catch her breath. "I missed you too, are you okay?"

"I… I think so…" She hiccupped in a whisper, tears still rolling down her cheek. "I think so. I feel so stupid."

"Don't feel stupid, Bones… It's okay." He said, smoothing her hair behind her ear. "It's okay, I missed you."

"Parker… did you see Parker?"

"I saw Parker." He nodded.

"I brought Angela." She said, feeling stupid for telling him something he already knew, but she was trying whatever she could to keep herself calm, it was then that he noticed that she had something in her hand.

"I see Angela…" He said with a slight smile on his face, he nodded toward the wrapped box in her hands, that Antonia had been holding earlier. "What do you have there?"

"It's a gift for you." She sniffled.

"You got me a gift?"

"Toni got you a gift." She whispered.

"That's my present to you, Deuce!" Antonia exclaimed from her perch on Angela's lap.

"Why don't we go over and sit down, and I'll open it…"

"Okay." She whispered, nodding her head, she calmed down. "I missed you."

"I know, Bones." He said, kissing her lips softly, he pulled away and watched her eyes dance for him. "I'm right here now. I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." She said simply, accepting his hand gratefully, they walked together to the table, and he grabbed the chair from beside Angela and dragged it to the other side of the table as Angela smirked at him, shaking her head as he helped her sit down, and slid into the chair beside her, pulling her close.

Temperance leaned her head on his shoulder, gently placing the small box to the table, Antonia scrambled over it and grabbed it from the table, as Booth widened his eyes playfully.

"What are you doing, you said that was for me!" He teased, watching Angela's smile, he felt Temperance squeeze his arm softly as the little girl giggled.

"It is for you, silly buttons." She said leaning over she slipped the box toward him, across the table. "We got you this present when we were in… um… um…"

"Colorado." Angela whispered to her.

"Color…mmm…." She said, looking to Temperance.

"Boulder."

"Boulder!" Antonia exclaimed, watching Booth's faux shocked expression. "Boulder." She said softer, as he nodded and picked the box up. Just as Booth was about to open the box, Antonia exclaimed the contents of the box, unable to contain her excitement. "It's a rock with all of our names on it!" She exclaimed excitedly as Temperance made a surprised look at her daughter. "Oops." She giggled, covering her mouth.

"Toni…" Temperance said as the little girl shook her head.

"Well there." Booth teased. "I guess I don't have to open it…" He said.

"No! No!" Antonia exclaimed. "You must open it, daddy… you must!" She said, reaching for the box, he teased her and pulled it to his chest. "Just open it…" She said, giving him a very stern expression that matched her mother's 'down to business' look down to the glare.

"I think she means it, Booth… you better open it." Angela teased, enjoying this little interaction.

He slowly lifted the cover of the small box, and reached his hand under the tissue. "The man out there looked in your present already, Daddy. I told him that it was for you and a secret and he promised he wouldn't tell." Antonia said as Booth pulled the rounded stone from the box. It wasn't large, it fit in the palm of his hand and it was flat and smooth.

"Antonia, you don't need to tell everyone every detail." Temperance said, putting her hand on the table.

"She gets that from her mother." Booth said, admiring his gift, he felt a sharp pointed elbow in his side and gave her a sideways grin that she shook her head at.

"Turn it over, daddy." Antonia said, pointing at the stone, he carefully poked at it, turning it over. Carefully etched into the stone in a fine font were two names. 'Parker', and directly below it, 'Antonia'.

"That is my name." She said, pointing at the stone, Booth's eyes just remained on it. "That's my friend Parker's name."

Booth let out a little chuckle, glancing to Temperance, who was looking at the stone. "Your friend?"

"Yes. He went on the plane with us, and he helped me color some pictures, and he's a friend of mommy's too… he hugged her a lot. He let me hold his hand when we got off the plane, but then he had to go with his mommy. They were going to go see his daddy, and I told mommy that I wanted to go see MY daddy, but she said we had to wait… so we waited and waited and…" She trailed off and reached to grab the stone from Booth's hand, she studied the names carefully.

Temperance watched her daughter for a moment, trying to ignore the fact that Booth was staring at her, and she reached across for the stone. "We took a walk at one of the parks in Denver… and this stone kind of caught my eye." She said, staring at it. "Hodgins could tell you what kind of stone it is." She said, glancing up at Angela as if she were trying to divert attention, she felt his hand in hers as she took the stone in her hand and ran her thumb across the names. "We found a jeweler in town with an engraving tool, and paid to have their names put on it… Figured it could be a nice paperweight or something when you get back to doing paperwork." She said with a small smile rising on her lips, her eyes flashed up to his and he smiled at her, shaking his head.

"You think you're funny." He said, raising his eyebrows with that cocky grin, and she just laughed a little. "You didn't tell her yet, did you?" He asked softly, watching her shake her head as her focus went back to the stone. She placed it back in his hand.

"She's not going to understand."

"But she might." He shrugged.

"She's not going to like it."

"You haven't even tried to tell her?"

"What's the point?" She asked,

"You could just stop arguing and try." Angela said, raising her eyebrows as the two of their focus went on the artist who had suddenly felt invisible the moment their eyes met.

"We're not arguing." Booth and Temperance said at the same time, their eyes clashing one more time, as both of them focused on the little girl as she played with the ties of her shoes as she sit in her chair.

"Maybe we should wait until Parker is here." She whispered.

"That's another thing." Booth said, his hand reaching for hers, the stone slipped between their hands and settled there.

"What?"

"Caroline thinks she can get me out of here by the end of next week."

"What?" Temperance asked, her eyes were surprised, her mouth showed happiness.

"I gave them everything I had on the case… everything on the money from the stipend, everything I had… period… I gave it all to them. They're transferring me to D.C. on Monday, and I could be out as early as Wednesday, once the judge hears my case and reviews the paperwork and evidence." He said. He watched her eyes as they seemed to reflect a sense of disappointment, and the happiness he felt about his freedom suddenly dropped into his stomach. "Bones?"

"That's… that's great." She said, smiling at him, though he could tell it wasn't a full fledged smile, he could tell that she was holding something back.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing." She said, quickly… a little too quickly for his taste. "Nothing, I'm just… it was a long flight yesterday, and today… the long… drive and… you'll be with your family soon." She said, reaching out, she took his hand and squeezed it. "It'll be nice to be back with your family." She said again. He could sense that there was more, but he knew better than to push. He knew that she'd just push away, and if he needed anything at this moment was Bones not pushing him away. "I… I have to go um… make a quick phone call… Ange, can you stay with Ant here with Booth, I'll be right back." She said, flashing her a smile, she stood up and kissed him, staring into his eyes for a moment. "I love you." She whispered, before turning and walking quickly out the door, leaving Angela and Booth staring at one another across the table, as Antonia looked up from her shoes.

"Where' d Mommy go?" She asked, her brow furrowing as she looked between the two adults remaining in the room.


	33. Gaining Perspective

_**Update 33- Gaining Perspective**_

Angela sat with Booth in silence for about ten minutes. She could see the anxiety in the tic in his jaw, and Antonia had begun playing with the stone on the table, making a tapping sound on it as the minutes ticked away.

"She didn't have to make a phone call, did she?" Booth said as he tipped his head in irritation.

"Probably not." Angela replied.

"And, she's not coming back in here, is she?" He asked.

"Probably not." Angela said, watching his hand clench and unclench. "She loves you." Angela whispered.

"Yeah." He said, sighing, he glanced to the little girl, whose brown eyes lifted to his. She was being quiet, for she could feel the tension in the room, but as soon as their eyes met, his face softened. "I think I need a hug." He whispered, smiling when the little girl hopped from her chair and ran around the table, nearly leaping into his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as he held her close.

"She's really confused right now, Booth." Angela said softly. "I think… she doesn't know where she belongs. It's not like she tells me anything, she hasn't talked about you much at all since you… disappeared."

"Does she want me around?" Booth whispered.

"Yes!" Angela said, reaching across the table, she grabbed his hand, squeezing it for emphasis, she could see the lost look in his eyes. "God, yes she wants you around, Booth." The look in her eyes was almost as if she was begging, pleading for him to see things the way that Brennan was seeing things. "She just spent so much time… talking into thin air, waiting for a reply to her questions… that the fact that you're here to answer them is scaring her."

"She didn't become upset until I told her that I was getting out of here, Angela." He said seriously, rocking the little girl in his arms, he felt her twist in them and watch him as Angela sighed.

Angela was about to speak when Antonia decided that it was her turn. "Mommy says that when you're here, you're safe from everything. She says she knows where you are, and it makes her feel safe. But she says she misses you so much." Antonia said, watching Booth smile sadly, his eyes filling with tears, the little girl saw the tears and wrapped her arms around him again, hugging him closely.

"She loves you, Booth." Angela whispered simply.

"She loves me so much that she wants me to be locked up so she knows where I am at all times." He said, an almost smile on his lips as he watched Angela shake her head.

"That's not true, you know she wants you home… you know she hates that you're in here, why do you think she dragged me here? She couldn't do this alone, she can't bear to see you in here, yet she knows she can't deny you time to see Ant. She loves you so much, she needs you. Please believe me."

"I believe you, Ange." Booth whispered, nodding as he rubbed his daughter's back. "I know that she has good intentions. I know that she's scared… and I know that the only person that can prove to her that I want to be with her, that I need to be with her, is me. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can prove that to her."

"I know, Booth." Ange said, running her finger over the stone that she had picked up. "Just also know…" She said, handing the stone to Booth. "She is going to have to share you… and all of this time you've been gone, she hasn't had to."

"If I get out of here this week…"

"You're going to have to go to her, Booth." Angela said, leaning forward. "She is too afraid that she will come for you and you're going to turn your back on her. Regardless of your reasons for being…"

"Invisible." Booth replied simply, his eyes stern on Angela's.

"Regardless for your reasons for being invisible… you did lie to her and betray her." Angela spoke evenly. "She has every right to walk away if she wants, but you know she won't, you saw the way she reacted to seeing you… every time she sees you is like a dream for her, okay? She's been dreaming for this moment for far too long, and you coming back into her world is like learning to trust you all over again."

"I understand." Booth spoke sharply, quickly.

"Do you?" She asked, eying him carefully.

"I may not look like the same person I was back then, and I don't have the badge or the gun… but I am still the man that loves her, and that is one thing that will never change. I still need to protect her, and I still need to be there for her, to love her… and prove to her that I'm not going anywhere ever again."

"What is going on with Parker?" Angela asked sincerely.

"They're staying with Harding until I'm released. The FBI is packing their belongings and is shipping them here, furnishing them with a house in D.C. until Rebecca is settled. He'll be nearby…"

"And where will you stay when you're released?"

"I don't know." He swallowed hard, searching Angela's eyes for a moment, for a possible answer. "Harding has offered a bed at his place…" Booth said, his eyes on hers. "I guess he and… Rebecca have reconnected or something." He shook his head as if he was confused. "He's a good friend."

"Yeah… he is." Angela nodded. "And I know for a fact that you don't forget good friends." Angela said as she stood up and watched Booth stand up as well. Very carefully he handed Antonia over to her, and the little girl gripped his shirt tightly at first, but after a moment released it and attached herself to Angela.

"I don't forget family either, Angela." Booth said, leaning forward to give her a hug, she felt his arms around her and squeezed back, dropping a friendly kiss on his cheek as she pulled from the hug.

"I know you don't, Booth… and neither does Bren…"

"Tell her that I love her?"

"You know she already knows…"

"Yeah… but it never hurts to say it again." He said with a sad smile before putting his hands on Antonia's cheeks and smushing them a little. "Alright, fish face… be good for your Mama and Aunt Angela."

"Okay…" She said through puckered lips as Booth smiled, kissing the puckered lips, he let them go as she laughed. "Haha… fish face!" She said, puckering her lips as Booth laughed and shook his head. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, Little Bones…" He said, giving her nose a little poke. "Take care of them until I get home?" He said, looking directly into Angela's eyes.

"Yeah." Angela said as she laughed a little, nodding her head. "I'll take care of them until you get home."

"Thank you, Angela."

"It's no problem…" She said, giving him a playful punch on his shoulder as she walked past him. "Just get home." She said as the door opened, and she was escorted out, Booth gave them one more wave before the door closed behind him and he was escorted back to his cell.

* * *

Angela stepped out into the parking lot with Antonia in her arms, making her way toward the car, she immediately noticed the figure of her best friend sitting in the passenger seat, her eyes staring straight out of the windshield.

She opened the back door and lifted Antonia inside, upon seeing her mother, she smiled. "Hi, Mommy."

Temperance turned her head, giving her daughter a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Hey, baby… did you have a fun visit with your daddy?"

"Yes." She said simply, noticing that her mother had a faraway look in her eyes. She pushed her hands against her cheeks. "Look mama… fish face…" She said through puckered lips.

"If you keep doing that, and your face is going to stick like that…" Angela said, buckling in the little girl carefully as she raised her eyebrows. Antonia dropped her hands and watched Angela.

"Don't listen to Aunt Angela, she's incorrect… I love your fish face." Temperance said, giving her daughter a wink as the little girl giggled and Angela climbed into the driver's seat.

"What's all the giggling about?" Angela asked, seeing Temperance's innocent look, she shrugged.

"Nothing!" Antonia giggled more as Angela just smiled and shook her head, as she backed out of the parking space, and they made their way home without another word about Booth, or anything else for that matter.


	34. Burning Desires

_**Update 34- Burning Desires**_

Angela stopped the car outside Temperance's apartment and watched her pull her seatbelt off quickly as if she were trying to get away from something. Angela reached across and grabbed her friend's hand. "Bren, stop…"

Temperance looked up at her friend with obvious confusion. "Ange, I need to go."

"No, Bren… not stop that… stop pushing him away from you. He loves you. He wants to be with you. Why can't you see that?"

"I have to go, Ange." Temperance said softly. "Thank you for taking me… there… to see him. Thank you for keeping an eye on Antonia. And thank you for not pushing." She said, her voice sounding more like a request than an actual 'thank you.' "Ange…"

"He said he loves you, Sweetie. He wanted me to tell you."

"I know that he loves me." She replied, glancing back to Antonia, who had already unbuckled the seatbelt. "Are you ready to go, baby?"

"Yes, mommy."

"Say bye bye to Big A." She said, putting on her best half smile.

"Love you, Big A…" Antonia said, climbing into the front a bit, she hugged Angela from behind.

"I love you tons, Little A." Angela whispered, kissing the little girl on the cheek, pulling her into the front seat, the little girl let out a squeal of laughter as Angela pretended to eat her.

"No! No dinosaurs! Mommy! Save me, mommy!" She squealed as the little girl's feet kicked and Temperance laughed as Angela kissed the little girl again, and her kicking stopped as she slipped down and into Temperance's lap.

"You be a good girl for your mama…"

"I am always a good girl." She stated matter-of-factly, and Temperance gave Angela a grateful smile as she opened the door and climbed out, reaching into the back seat for Antonia's little backpack.

"I will see you tomorrow." Angela said, making sure that Temperance understood that it was an order and not a request.

"Perhaps lunch." Temperance nodded. "I will be in the lab on Monday. I need to get caught up and start working again soon."

"What will you be doing with Ant?"

"She will be staying with dad, I haven't decided if I will be hiring a new nanny or not." She said, clearing her throat, she felt a little hand tugging at her. "I need to get her inside, she has to go to the bathroom."

"Okay… I'll see you later."

"Thank you again, Angela."

"Stop running, Sweetie…" She said as there was no answer but the closing the door, Angela sighed. "Please stop running…" She whispered to nobody as she sighed and watched Temperance and Antonia disappear into the building together.

* * *

Temperance walked up the stairs, Antonia three steps ahead of her, but always within sight as they got up to the door. "Okay, it is almost six… that means dinner time." Temperance said to the bouncing girl as she looked for her key. "You run into your bedroom… find your pajamas, and by the time you're done, dinner will be all ready." She said, knowing her daughter's ability to dawdle, she knew she'd have enough time to boil some water for a little pasta for dinner. Antonia nodded her head and hopped one more time as Temperance opened the door and let her run quickly through the apartment toward her bedroom.

Temperance stepped tiredly into the apartment and closed the door, leaning against the door she sighed, hearing the pounding of her daughter's feet coming in her direction. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" She exclaimed, nearly sliding to a stop when she saw the exhausted look on her mother's face.

"And why are you running through the house shouting?"

"Um…" She said, poking her mouth for a moment of thought, she held her finger up and grinned. "Forgot my bag." She said with a smile, she grabbed her backpack and took off running toward her bedroom.

"Please don't run, Antonia…"

"Sorry Mommy!" She called from her bedroom as Temperance shook her head and couldn't help but smile at the little girl's excitement.

She walked into the kitchen and pulled a pan from the cupboard, and slowly began to run water into it, lifting it over to the stove, she placed it on the burner and turned it on, closing her eyes for a moment to rest, she leaned against the counter for a few moments, thinking of the afternoon, thinking of the sleep that she had been missing, of the nightmare that she had woken from the night before, her body covered in sweat, tears running down her face, and Antonia clutching her tightly as she ran her hands through her daughter's hair, trying to calm her from her fear of her mother's nightmares, and the tears falling anew when she realized what she was doing to her daughter.

Temperance walked to the stove as the water began to boil and pulled a box of pasta from the cupboard, pouring it slowly into the water, she glanced to the hallway. "Antonia, you better be getting your pajamas on, dinner will be ready in ten minutes…" She said, knowing that the little girl had little concept of time, but if she told her there was a time limit, at least she'd be aware of that.

"Almost done, Mama!" She called from down the hallway, and Temperance shook her head as she stare down into the boiling water, the pasta moving with the bubbles, the wooden spoon stirring it to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Temperance closed her eyes for a moment, several seconds of sleepiness coming over her as she pictured the look on Booth's face, the sadness in his eyes, the hopefulness in his eyes as he mentioned seeing Parker. She could feel the sadness deep in her chest, the heaviness in her heart as she sighed. She knew that he loved her, and that he said that he needed her to be safe. He said that he would never disappear again, that he'd never betray her, but he had said it before, why was it so different?

Was this a promise to her, or a promise to Antonia? Was this a promise to both? Where would he stay? Where did he expect to stay? Did he want to be with her, or date her? Marry her? Be her partner? Her friend? Her lover? Who was he?

He is still Booth, still the man she loved, loves, and will love, forever… but where did he fit in with the life she had now? Where did he fit in with Antonia? Could she continue to raise her by herself? Did she want to raise her by herself? Would Booth want his things back? What would the arrangement be, so many questions, so many questions and not one answer.

"Mommy!" Antonia's voice jolted Temperance out of her reverie, and the spoon she had in her hand fell into the water hard, sending boiling water splashing up onto her hand. Antonia saw her mother's expression change from half asleep to intense pain, and she was frozen in place.

Temperance's face turned red, her hand was burning with boiling water, and she sucked in a deep breath to keep herself from shouting. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Antonia, what she didn't realize though, was that by not shouting, it was even more distressing for the little girl. "Mama! I'm sorry! What did I do?" She exclaimed as Temperance used her good hand to move the boiling pot from the burner, she switched it off and ran toward the sink, immediately turning on the cold water. "Mama? Mama? I'm sorry! Mama, talk to me!" She exclaimed, watching Temperance's eyes move to the ceiling as the cold water ran over her hand, and she sucked in a deep breath again and again. "Mama, please… mama!" She exclaimed as she started to sob, grabbing hold of her mother's shirt, she pulled on it as Temperance leaned down and lifted her up with one arm and buried her head in her daughter's hair as she tried to control her breathing. "Mama, talk… Mama… please..."

"I'm okay." Temperance managed to whisper into her daughter's hair. "I'm okay…"

"I'm sorry, Mama." She cried into her shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you, baby… it's okay…" She said, finally finding her breath. "I got you… Mama is okay…" She said, rocking the little girl back and forth as she turned the water off and assessed the damage to her hand, she carried the little girl toward the cupboard and pulled down a towel. "Mama needs you to do her a big favor…" She whispered as Antonia wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling. "Can you do Mama a big favor?" She asked, watching Antonia nod her head. "Go into the bathroom and find mommy a pretty band aid for her arm… and then she'll feel all better…" She whispered. "Can you do that?" She asked, watching the little girl nod her head.

"Scooby doo?" She asked, sniffling, her brown eyes hopeful.

"Scooby doo might just do the trick…" She said, carefully lifting the little girl to the floor, she watched her run out of the kitchen quickly as Temperance gritted her teeth and let herself breathe heavily for a second as she walked to the freezer and filled the towel with ice, wrapping it around her hand, she waited patiently for the little girl to run in from the bathroom, just as Temperance sat on the floor beside the sink.

"We were all out of Scooby doo, Mama… I got you a care bear one…"

"Oh… even better…" Temperance said as she watched the little girl unwrap the band aid, letting her sit between her legs as she worked diligently.

"Where's it hurt?" She asked, looking up into her mother's tear filled eyes. "Right there… next to my elbow…" She said, in a place very far from where she was burned.

The little girl leaned forward and put a very light kiss on her mother's skin, looking up to see if the pain was gone from her face, she took a deep breath and put the band aid on her mother's skin very gently. "That oughta do it, mama…" She nodded her head. "Does it feel better?" She asked, sniffling again.

"It feels a lot better…" She said, nodding her head as Antonia rested her head against her mother.

"Mama?" Antonia whispered, hearing her mother hum in response as they sit against the cupboards. "I'm not hungry no more…"

"You're not hungry?"

"No." She shook her head. "I'm just sleepy."

"So am I…" Temperance admitted.

"Can we just go to bed?"

"Yeah…" She said, pulling her daughter up against her with her good arm, she slowly rubbed her back.

"Mama?" Antonia whispered.

"Mmm…"

"When is daddy coming home?" She whispered, hearing her mother's sad sigh as she rubbed her back.

"I don't know, baby." She whispered, kissing the little girl's temple. "Hopefully soon…" She said, nearly falling asleep right there. "Hopefully soon… because I don't know how much longer I can do this without him here." She said honestly, unsure if she had even said it out loud or to herself, she cradled her daughter against her as she tried to find the strength to get her and her little girl to bed.


	35. The Frightened Run

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_**Update 35- The Frightened Run**_

Temperance adjusted the bandage on her hand for the fourth time that morning, unwrapping, and wrapping the small gauze wrapping that she had put around the burns. They were healing fine, it had been a couple of days, and she sit at her desk staring at the computer screen, staring at her e-mails, her eyes not reading, her mind just reeling. She knew that it was Wednesday, she had heard from Harding that morning with the announcement that he would be going to the courthouse that afternoon with Rebecca and Parker, and the announcement that today was the day that Booth would be released.

She waited with a chilled anticipation, the past two days at work had been filled with paperwork and catching up, and she didn't have a spare moment to take a breath, and she loved it. She loved it because she didn't have a moment that she could afford to dwell on the changes that were occurring around her so quickly. Sunday had been tiring, after skipping dinner the night before, she wasn't surprised that Antonia was awake as soon as the sun came over the horizon, poking her mother's nose again and again, and that was simply how the day had begun.

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"Mama, I'm hungry." Antonia said as soon as her mother's eyes flashed open._

"You're hungry?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

"Daddy."

"Very clever." Temperance said, sitting up, she watched her little girl climb up onto the bed, she crawled up and looked at the wet towel on her mother's hand.

"Mama, you're bed is all wet."

"That is because ice melts." She replied, pulling the little girl into a hug with her good arm, Antonia cuddled as she leaned over her mother's arm.

"Lemme see, Mama." She said, poking at the bandaid on her mother's elbow, she sighed. "Looks like you're gonna have to leave it on there for a little longer."

"Well, thank you, Doctor Brennan."

"No, Mama… you're Doctor Brennan…"

"Then who are you?" She asked, a humored look on her face as she hugged her daughter to her again.

"I'm Doctor Antonia. That's what Uncle Bugs calls me. He says that way I won't get mixed up with you."

"Ah…" She nodded. "Uncle Bugs is a very smart man, he knows what he's talking about."

_"Yeah, he's a genius." She said, climbing from her mother's arms, she rolled her feet to the floor and smiled. "Rise and shine, Mama. Let's go see daddy." She said, running out of the room, Temperance watched as her daughter disappeared around the corner before she flopped her body back down on the pillow and sighed, allowing a tear to fall down her cheek as she decided to start her day with the typical morning cry._

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The remainder of Sunday had gone by quickly with a lunch with Angela, and dinner spent with Antonia, quietly trying to rid herself of the thoughts that were plaguing her mind. She felt guilty and confused, yet she didn't know who to talk to about it with, though deep down in her heart she knew that there was only one person that she could actually talk to about this, and she found that she was too afraid to approach him. Max had tried to talk to her on Monday when she dropped Antonia off on her way to the lab, but Temperance wanted to hear nothing of it, though she knew that her father could tell that she was breaking. He told her so.

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_"Tempe, why don't you come in?" Max said, holding the little girl in his arms, he rocked her back and forth as she slept soundly on her grandfather's shoulder. Temperance had just handed her over to him, and the little girl hadn't even batted an eyelash since being lifted from the car. It was very early, and it seemed that today she wanted to sleep through the morning._

"I can't come in, Dad. I have to get to work." She said, taking a step back, and Max's hand was in hers.

"Just come in for a second, please? Help me put her in the bedroom, and give her a kiss goodbye." Max said, giving her a pleading look that he always reserved for moments of emotional manipulation, and like a good con man, it always worked.

"Fine, but only for a couple of minutes." She said, following Max toward the bedroom, he had avoided asking her about the bandage on her hand, but as soon as Antonia was nestled in the guest room bed and cuddled in with her stuffed elephants, kissed by her mother and left to dream, Max began his campaign.

"Sweetheart." Max said, taking her hand as she walked quickly toward the door, she stopped.

"Dad, I have to go. I told Cam that I'd be in today, and I am so behind on…"

"Can't you just give your father a second of your time? I just want to check on you."

"I'm fine, Dad."

"No, you're not fine." He replied, watching his daughter's glare, he could see that she wasn't sleeping well, that she had cried recently, that she was conflicted, and that she was going to try to make work her excuse. "I can see just by the look in your eyes that you're not sleeping well, that you're not taking care of yourself. Temperance, if you keep this up, you're going to wear yourself down, and you're not going to be able to take care of Antonia. You're breaking, Tempe."

"I am not breaking, that's ridiculous!" She exclaimed, nearly tripping over her feet as she reached the door, Max reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. "I'm fine." She said, wrenching her arm from him, she could feel the tears in her eyes.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked, watching her glare at him as she reached for the door knob.

"I burned it on Saturday, its fine."

"Tempe."

"I said it's fine, Dad. Stop worrying about me, okay? I am fine, Antonia is fine… I have to get to work." She said, pulling the door open.

"Have you talked to Booth, Tempe?"

"That is none of your business." She glared at him as she walked out of the apartment.

"Temperance, you can't keep running away."

"Bye, Dad." She said as she stomped down the hallway, trying her best to ignore his pleas as she disappeared from view.

* * *

So she had busied herself in the office, making herself work late to finish some of the tasks that she had missed out on since her absence, and she felt more tired and more stressed out than she had been before. She glanced to her clock and noted that it was nearly three in the afternoon and she still had heard nothing from Harding, nothing from Booth, nothing. She was so concentrated on her computer screen, that she nearly fell out of her chair when she heard the voice across the room.

"Doc!" Harding exclaimed, watching the stunned look on her face when she jumped, a look that turned immediately to anger.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her hand on her chest as she stared at the man blankly, her eyes were wide and shocked, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. "Harding?" She exclaimed, noting that he was staring at her.

"Geez, Doc… what the hell are you doing to yourself? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine, and I have a lot of work to get done, okay? What do you want?"

"We're going over to the courthouse. I'm bringing Parker and Rebecca… we thought you'd want to be there."

"Did you not hear what I said, Harding? I have work to get done."

"Temperance?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, leaving no room for discussion, and his brow furrow in frustration.

"Doc…" He said softly.

"I don't need your sympathy, and I don't need a lecture, Harding." She replied harshly.

"Deuce would like it if you were there, Doc."

"Well Deuce…" She said, speaking the nickname quite sarcastically, she gave Harding another glare. "He knows where to find me." She said, softening after a second, she shook her head. "Just… just take his family to him, okay? He needs his family." She said, rubbing her forehead with her thumb and forefinger, she stared at the wooden surface for a moment. "Just bring his family to him."

"That's what I was trying to do." Harding said without a tinge of regret, he watched her for a moment to see if she'd make eye contact with him, and when she didn't, he turned and simply walked out of her office and out of the lab.

Temperance felt like she was going to crumble right there, she felt like she was losing it, and she needed some semblance of control. She gritted her teeth as she tried to hold back the onslaught of tears that she could feel prickling her eyes and she sat up slowly, grabbing several files and papers, she took a deep breath and walked toward the exit of her office, turning the light off as she looked back at the work piled on her desk. She took another deep breath and walked out of her office toward Angela's office, pausing in the doorway until the artist looked up.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Angela asked, seeing the distress on her friend's face, she couldn't help but be extremely concerned.

"I'm fine." She said, swallowing hard. "Do you think… I mean… would it be too much trouble if you watched Antonia tonight… and maybe tomorrow night."

"Yeah… sure, no problem. She has stuff at my place… why? Are you okay? You don't look okay, sweetie."

"I just… I just need a little bit of time." She said, shrugging. "I just need a little time."

"Okay… okay… I'll pick her up at your dad's after work, tell him what's going on… did you want me to tell Cam?"

"I'll call and leave her a message, let her know that I probably won't be in for the rest of the week." She nodded.

"Okay. Bren, are you sure you're okay? Was that Harding that was just here?"

"Yeah, he's going to go pick up Booth." She said, watching Angela nod her head in understanding.

"Are you going to be okay, Brennan?" Angela asked seriously, watching her friend's eyes carefully, she could see that she was about to break down, and was just looking for a quick exit.

"I'll be okay." She nodded. "I just need some time. I'll call sometime tonight, and you can just bring her to dad's on your way to work tomorrow, I'll call him and let him know you're picking her up."

"Okay." Angela said, walking toward her, she reached her arms out and wrapped them around her friend. "I'll take care of Little A… you just go take care of yourself."

"Tell her mommy loves her very, very much…"

"I'll tell her, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Ange." Temperance said, rubbing her eye with her palm as she straightened her bag on her shoulder. "Thanks."

Angela simply nodded, as she watched her friend turn and stride quickly through the lab and out of its doors, her head shaking as she tried to understand how someone so brilliant, could be so conflicted about a decision that seemed so easy for anyone else to make.


	36. The Brave Return Home

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_**Update 36- The Brave Return Home**_

Temperance climbed into the SUV slowly, tossing her bag onto the seat beside her, she sat for a moment at the wheel, staring out the windshield at nothing. She looked at her hands, and realized that she was trembling, her thoughts racing through her mind as she put the key in the ignition. She took a deep breath, glancing back at the car seat in the back, decorated with stickers, she smiled, thinking of her little girl and thought for a moment about going to her father's house and picking her up, taking her somewhere, somewhere away from everything, but she knew that it wasn't logical, it wasn't right, it wouldn't be fair to anyone, it wouldn't even be fair to herself.

She pulled the car from its space, slowly making her way through the parking garage, she paused at the entrance of the street, trying to figure out what she should do, what she could do, what would be fair, what did she want, what did she need? Question after question plagued her mind, her hands shaking as she drove around the city aimlessly, trying to find a place for all of the emotions she had bottled in her heart, trying to compartmentalize, and failing miserably.

She drove through the city without thought or consequence, rolling down familiar streets with her mind and heart battling it out, and her emotions becoming the ultimate victim. She pulled into a familiar place without thinking, the place she always went when she felt lost or alone, and as she pulled the car up to the oak tree space that was worn by frequent use, she parked the car and rested her head on the steering wheel.

Temperance thought back to the last time she had been here, that rainy day that she had pummeled the stone that bear the name of her best friend, the man she loves, the man who was alive and waiting, and just wanted a second chance. She thought of exiting her car, but she could see by the threatening clouds that a storm was moving in quickly, the trees were waving in the wind. She could feel the prickle of tears in her eyes as she sat there, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she felt a sob lifting through her chest, denying its full breadth, she sucked air into her lungs and held for a moment, leaning her head back, she stared at the top of the car and turned her head to see that gray slab of stone reaching from the ground.

She was grateful that she had a place to come to for solitude, a place to voice her sadness, concerns, happiness, but she didn't need this place anymore and it was one of the many things that were weighing on her heart. Change was never easy, and this kind of change was unfathomable. She let her hand slip down to her jacket pocket, slipping her hand into it, she felt the hard plastic of the poker chip that hadn't been out of her possession since that day she saw him again, that day that she watched him hold a gun on the man that held her captive, saw his eyes again, felt his hand in hers, touched his skin. She turned the poker chip over and over in her hand for several moments, before she dropped it into the bottom of her pocket and started the car again, making her way from the cemetery.

As she pulled from the cemetery, the rain started to pour from the sky, and she could feel her heart sinking just a little more. She didn't know exactly why she was so upset, and she knew that rationally, she should be happy, elated, undeniably happy that Booth was being released, that she was going to have him in her life again. She was happy, to a degree, she was happy he'd be free to do as he wished, free to come and go as he pleased, free to be who he wanted to be. What she feared was that it wouldn't be the same, or on the same token , it would be the same and they'd remain friends. She knew that he loved her, she knew that he cared deeply for her, but what she didn't know was where he expected to be placed in her life, where did he fit in? She hadn't spoken to him since that day in the jail, and she wasn't sure where he was staying, just that Harding was going to pick him up. They hadn't talked about living arrangements or anything like that, simply because she was taking everything one day at a time, one visit at a time, one moment at a time. And while she knew where he was when he was locked behind those bars, and she knew he was safe from harm and from her losing him again, she also knew that it wasn't where he belonged. She wanted him to belong with her, and she had no idea where to begin with him. That fact alone scared her half to death.

She drove for several hours, just letting the rain pour down, and the sky to darken into night, and made a quick call to Angela to check on Antonia, who was happily playing a board game with Hodgins on the floor of the living room. Angela asked one more time if she was okay, and she lied, telling her that she as fine, that she was just tired from the dreams, tired from the long nights of catching up at work. At nearly ten in the evening, she drove toward her apartment, content that there was a good possibility of her being able to wallow in self pity for a while with a glass of wine, perhaps a dreamless sleep? All of this could be too much to ask for, and when she stepped into the empty apartment, there was no sound of clomping little girl feet, or the exclamation of 'hi mommy'. No, she had let her one happiness stay away for now, because she felt guilty for her own confusion and couldn't stand another moment of bringing her child's spirits to its knees.

She walked through the apartment slowly, wondering if she'd even be able to make it to her bed. She found herself stopped in the hallway beside the hall closet. She knew what was in several of the boxes on the other side of the door, and she don't know what came over her as she opened the door slowly and looked up at the containers and boxes that were piled high. She carefully reached up, pulling down one of the many boxes, staring at it as it hit the ground, the top popping open, she found herself staring down into it. She leaned down and lifted the box, unable to carry herself much farther than the next bedroom, she settled herself in her daughter's bedroom, sitting on the tiny bed, she pulled the box up beside her, and poured its contents out onto the floor, staring at the objects as she tried not to remember the day that she packed them away.

Her hands rolled over the many items, each a victim of a hurried packing, hurried to get them out of her sight for the memories had been far too much. Several dress shirts, several ties… cufflinks she had gotten for his birthday, several pairs of socks, the poker chip holder that he always kept on his table beside the couch. She let her hand move over the items and she heaved a sigh, bringing a white dress shirt to her face, she was disappointed at the lack of his scent, feeling her tears beginning to fall once again. She could hear the rain pouring outside, slamming hard against the window, and as she stood up, she flicked off the light beside the door, and lay quickly down on her daughter's bed, pressing her face into the pillow, she could feel the heaviness of sleep calling her. She stared at the wall, the light of the street lights shining in through the window, dimpled by the rain against the glass, running down the pane in rivulets. She watched the reflection, the dark lines of the bars on the windows breaking the view into long, thin rectangles, the light impeded only a little bit.

Temperance closed her eyes for several moments, allowing her heart rate to slow, the anxiety she was feeling flowing through her was dissipating into a gentle hum, and she settled into the scent and feel of her daughter's bed, feeling strangely comforted, despite her not being there. As she lay there, she could feel herself drifting off, a dream on the corners of her mind, and her eyes slowly opened to find the room darker, and it wasn't until she lifted her head that she noticed that the reason was that the streetlight had been blocked by a figure, a person, a man, standing outside the window, and Temperance gasped.

She turned her head toward the window and recognized the silhouette pressed against the bars, his hands were holding the bars, his face pressed between them as he stared pleadingly inside. She didn't know if he could see her, but she climbed from the bed quickly, feeling her heart pounding in her chest, her mind focusing on him as she reached the window and slid it up quickly, coming face to face with him.

He looked surprised, his eyes widened as the rain poured down on him, it was obvious that he hadn't expected the window to open, let alone for her to be standing there. "Bones?" He said breathlessly, his body shivering, the rain pouring from his shirt and skin.

"What are you doing here, Booth?" She asked, her eyes on his hands, his knuckles white from holding the bars so tightly.

"I… I wanted to see if you were home. I was hoping we could talk…?"

"I can't talk to you like this, Booth." She said, shaking her head. She could see the sadness in his eyes, the lost, terrified sadness.

"Bones, I..." He whispered, pausing as he recognized the fear in her eyes, her own sadness cloaking her entire being.

"Booth, you're soaking wet and you're getting water in the house," She said, watching him take a step back. "Go around to the front door. I'll get you a towel."

She slammed the window closed and closed her eyes, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks as she opened them to find the fire escape empty, with the rain pouring down into its emptiness.


	37. A Dream Is A Wish The Heart Makes

_**Update 37- A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes**_

Temperance could feel the wet droplets of rain that had fallen on her skin when she had opened the window, and for some reason, even that wasn't enough to convince herself that she was awake, and not dreaming. She walked through the bedroom, carefully stepping over the items from the box, she stumbled at the threshold of the door and caught herself, hurrying down the hallway, she swung open the door to the linen closet and pulled out a towel, her hand touching the soft fabric as she stared at it for a moment.

_Was she dreaming?_

She had opened her eyes at the window, he wasn't there, was he ever there? Was she so exhausted that she had imagined him standing there on the other side of those bars? Was she awake now? It wouldn't be the first time that she was fooled, it wouldn't be the first time that she had heard his voice or seen his voice amidst a dream.

She could feel hot tears rolling down her cheeks as she gripped the towel in her hand, cursing her mind for playing such a cruel trick on her again, she wanted to scream but couldn't find the strength. She grabbed the towel from the shelf and threw it across the hallway, watching it slide across the floor and land near the front door. She held back the sob that was deep in her chest as she stomped down toward the towel, reaching down for it, she jumped when here was a sudden knock on the door. She looked up and stared at the door in front of her, again questioning her own reality, when there was another knock.

_Maybe it wasn't a dream._

"Bones?"

"Booth?" She said, her voice sounded surprised, her fist grasping the towel so tightly, she could feel her hand cramping. She reached for the lock and flicked it with her thumb, the door swung open faster than she could catch it, and it slammed hard against the wall as she stood staring, wide eyed at the man on the other side of the door.

"Bones?" He whispered. He stood in front of her in the hallway, water dripping from every inch of his body, he was trembling from the rain and cold, his eyes were filled with a broken sadness, and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. "Bones, are you alright?" He said, watching her stand in front of him, a towel in her hand, her eyes wide and tear filled, her cheeks flushed with color. She was staring him as if she was seeing a ghost, and after a moment, he realized her shock, he realized her surprise. She thought she was dreaming, and she had no idea what to do, what to say, and for that moment, he wasn't even sure if she was breathing. Slowly, he stretched his hand toward her, his cold, wet fingertips touched the skin of her hand, and she clenched the towel tighter, her breathing becoming erratic as she stared at him. "Bones, it's okay." He said, taking her hand in his, he didn't care that he was leaving a small puddle outside her door, in one swift movement, he stepped forward and his arms were around her.

Her body was rigid against his, as if she were frightened or confused, not knowing or feeling what was happening to her. It took no more than a second or two, and her arms were around his waist, her face buried in his chest as she started to breath harder into his body, sucking in air faster than she could get it out, she was feeling dizzy as she gripped him tightly, hearing words being spoken, but none making sense as she dug her fingers into the back of his jacket and held it in her fists, feeling the water dripping from it as she let out a sob that quite possibly broke his heart right there. "Oh God." She heard him whisper against her. "No… no, Bones… Please…" He said, his voice stern and clear. "It's okay, please!" He exclaimed.

She held him and sobbed, the towel long since forgotten as it lie between them on the floor, the door still wide open and the trail of water unnoticed. The trail of water was the least of his problems, because she was trembling so hard in his arms that he had no idea what to do now. She began to say things into his clothes, words that were absolutely unintelligible, though her actions and the passion in her voice as she sobbed was enough for him to know that she was not doing alright, this was not going to be easy for either of them. "Oh please, Bones… Please, baby… please don't do this… it's okay… I'm here, I'm really here."

"How…" She sobbed. "How did you know?" She said as she pulled away from him suddenly, her hands still gripping him tightly, as if she were afraid that he'd disappear. "How did you know that I thought it was a dream?"

"Because I could see it in your eyes." He said, lifting his hands to her face, he put his cold, wet hands on either side of her head and stared into her broken eyes. "I could see it in your eyes that you didn't believe that I was here. I'm here, Bones… I'm right here in front of you! I feel you, and I know you can feel me." He said, grabbing her hand, he pulled it from his jacket and placed her hand on his face, holding it there. "You can feel me, Bones… I'm real. I'm here… I'm here… "

"You have said that before in my dreams." She said through a broken sob. "This could all be an evil trick… this could all be…" She exclaimed, before his mouth descended on hers, his hand still on hers, holding it on his face as he delicately kissed in her words of doubt and swallowed them with that one kiss. Her other arm reached up to his shoulder, and her arms wrapped around him, locking behind his neck as he moved his hands to her waist and just held her there, the kiss breaking after a moment as he rested his head in her neck, breathing heavily as he held her in his arms. He could feel her head resting on his shoulder, as they both attempted to catch their breath, and allow their hearts to catch up with their bodies.

"I'm here." He said softly. "I'm here, I promise." He started to pull away slightly, and he felt her grip him harder.

"No." She said simply. "I'm not ready."

He held her until he felt her hands on his shoulders. She pushed against his shoulders weakly, disentangling them as she separated their bodies forcefully, her eyes searching for his. "Bones?"

And as soon as their eyes met, it was as if something clicked. Something in her mind clicked and the next thing he knew, she was pushing against his shoulders, her eyes suddenly on the floor as she shook her head. "No… No, no…" She said as she reached down and grabbed the towel from the ground, her voice shaking her body trembling. "No, I'm… I'm not ready."

Booth was speechless. He stood, watching her start to fuss over the water on the floor, and he was left standing there, his arms empty and his heart pounding in his chest as she ranted on about the water. "Bones, I…"

"No… no, just… just… just be quiet. Stay quiet and … look at the mess you're making on the floor, take your shoes off." She said, exasperated, rubbing her wrist over her eye to wipe the tear that was falling, as she turned and swung the door closed, locking it securely as she continued to try to clean the mess on the floor.

"Bones… look at me." He said from above her after she dropped to her knees and began to wipe up the water from the floor. "Bones, please… please look at me…"

"I can't." She said, drying the floor. "I can't…I have to clean this mess…"

"Bones, I came to you. I came to you, please… look at me." He said, kneeling on the floor.

"Booth, you're making a bigger mess, take off your jacket, your shoes!" She exclaimed, rubbing her forehead with her palm as she looked at him with an exasperated look. "Just take off your shoes." She said, rubbing the towel across the floor, Booth slowly peeled his jacket from his shoulders. Her behavior was quite erratic, and to be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure what he expected when he came to her. He could tell by her behavior that Antonia wasn't there, for he knew that she'd never break down like this with the possibility of her walking in. She knew that he was coming home today, she had to have known, yet still she refused to look at him as, even as he begged her. He folded the jacket over his arm, and in a swift moment, she stood up. "Just… just stay here!" She said, looking so desperate and sad, she quickly left the room.

"Bones, I came to talk to you!" He said, listening for a response. "Bones, please…" He said, as he carefully stood up, he could hear her coming back, she was carrying an empty laundry basket, her eyes looking down at it, she looked so distressed and confused.

"Put your jacket in the basket… "

"Bones, stop this."

"Put your jacket in the basket!" She exclaimed louder, her eyes wide as she stared at him, she was unraveling faster than he could have ever possibly imagined, so he did what she asked. He lay his jacket in the basket, and without warning grabbed the basket from her grasp.

"Stop." She said stubbornly, trying to hold on, but couldn't, and he turned around, sliding the basket with his jacket across the floor away from her. "Booth!" She exclaimed, turning to go toward it, she felt his hand on her arm. He wasn't rough, but he was insistent, and she wanted to just pull her arm away from him. She turned her head away and he held onto her.

"Bones, look at me." He said, his voice was pleading with her. "For God's sake, Bones, please?" He exclaimed. "I need you to look at me! I came here to talk to you!"

"No." She said, looking him in the eyes. "You came here to talk to Antonia. She's not here." She snapped.

"I know she's not here." Booth replied.

"Then why were you at my window? Why were you at my window and not at my door? You didn't leave me through the window, Booth! You didn't leave me through the window! You left Antonia through the window! You didn't come here for me! You're free… you're free, and you're with your family now, so why are you here? Why are you here?" She exclaimed, yanking her arm from his grasp, he reached for her again, this time holding tighter. "Let go of me!"

"No!" He exclaimed suddenly, watching her jump "I am not letting go of you! Not now, not ever!" He exclaimed. "Stop being stubborn! Stop pushing me away, because I'm not going away, Bones! I am not going away!"

"You have your family." She said indignantly, her voice filled with jealousy and anger. "You have your family, you don't need me… You have Parker, Parker and Rebecca!"

"Stop! Stop this!" He exclaimed. "I need you, Bones! You're my family! You're my family! You are what I want! Just you! You and everything that comes with you! I want you! You are what I want!" He exclaimed, his voice sounded angry, passionate, and deadly serious, and his hand on her arm remained tight as he moved his other hand to her other arm, and immediately pulled her into him, pressing his lips onto hers. The passion in his voice was immediately transferred to the passion in his kiss, and she could feel her resolve crumbling beneath his touch. His hands moved from her arms to her face, resting just below her ears as he pushed her back just a foot or two, so that she was anchored against the wall, held in place by his body pressing against hers. He gently lifted from the kiss and watched the shocked look on her face. Her eyes were wide, her mouth still open from the kiss, her lips swollen from the intensity, and she found herself staring at him as he held her.

"Listen to me Bones… Temperance… listen to me very closely." He said, his brown eyes boring into hers. "I have spent my entire life taking orders from other people. I have always let other people take control. My father, the military, the FBI. I always let someone else tell me what to do, Bones. Why do you think I never made it to a higher position? Why do you think I never tried to be something that I earned or worked for? It's because I was afraid! I was afraid that something was going to come along and take it all away from me, Bones. I am not going to do that anymore! I refuse to do that! I have worked too goddamned hard to lose you now. I am in control now, Bones. I know what I want, and I need to know that I'm going to get it! I want you." He said, his words quick and full of life, his eyes so tender and warm as the passion slowly turned to need. "I want to spend the rest of our lives together, Temperance. You're my family, Bones. You are my family… you are the one that I want to be with in every sense of the word. You are the one that helps me to wake up every morning, and work through my nightmares at night. You do that for me. You don't even know that, do you?" He whispered.

"No." She managed to whisper.

"Do you need proof?" he asked, loosening his grip on her arms, he slowly rubbed his hands up and down where they had rested. "I want to prove it to you. I need to prove it to you. You deserve that much, you need closure to this whole thing, you need to see that I have always loved you, that I have always wanted to tell you that. I need you to tell me what you want."

She watched with an intense curiosity, this man before her. As much as she wanted to tell herself that he had left her, he hadn't. He was always there in some sense, in the way that he could be there, and he always came through for her. His gravestone was silent, but had always provided solace, his presence in her home and around her daughter could have been seen as an intrusion, but it was always welcome, always comforting. Those eyes that she now found herself staring into, were the eyes of the man she loved, and the voice that was whispering these words, that was the voice of the man she loved, the man she thought she had lost. His eyes were pleading, and hers remained steady, until that very moment when her eyes faltered, landing on his chest.

"I need…" She whispered, taking a slow deep breath. "I need you to… get these wet clothes off, and stop dripping water all over the wooden floors." She whispered, allowing her eyes to lift to meet his. He tried to read her expression, and found that he was grossly out of practice. The expression on her face was like none he had ever seen on anyone's face. Her eyes were wide and questioning, but the way she quirked her eyebrows just so was making her request seem more like a demand. He tilted his head, waiting for more, another reaction, something different, something more concrete. Was she asking him to stay? Was she asking him to go? And if she could sense his question before it left his lips, her fingertips were at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up.

He gasped at her touch, feeling her warm hands against his skin, she waited for him to speak, but his eyes just remained on hers, his mouth open just slightly as her fingertips moved over his skin, her palms warming his wet skin as her thumbs brushed his ribs, causing him to tremble, his skin reacting to the warmth in her touch as she tugged at the t-shirt. He felt her hands gather the material as she pulled the soaked t-shirt up, and could feel the cool air of the room as his skin became exposed. Their eyes remained locked until the moment the shirt passed over his head, and instantly they became locked again, her palms finding their way to his chest, her thumbs feathering their way up his sternum, tenderly warming his rain cooled body as they traveled up his shoulders, and down his arms again.

She could feel his cool skin reacting to her touch, and yet gave no indication of anything, her expression was completely unreadable. It wasn't bored, or blank, but her eyes held a sparkle so unfamiliar to him, and her lips were turned up in such a way that he had never seen before, not on her face or on anyone else's for that matter.

Her fingers ran over the scars, her eyes dropping to her fingertips as she examined his skin, her fingertips moving deftly over the sensitive skin over his rib cage where the yellowed bruises of his most recent injuries had been. She noticed the scars that were healing, scars that marred a once beautiful canvas of skin. They weren't widespread, but still noticeable as she had seen his chest many times through their partnership, she could see the slightest change in pigment or texture as her fingertips glided over every inch of his skin, and he just stood, allowing her to work through her process, her examination, her thoughts.

When her hands reached his hips, he gasped again as she looped her fingers into the belt loop of his jeans, and allowed her eyes to move from his navel to his eyes, as she pulled him closer to her. He stumbled a bit as his chest pushed against hers, and her eyes looked up to meet his. "Are these the scars from the plane crash?" She whispered, watching his soft nod, she tilted her head as she brought her finger up to his face, running her thumb over the light stubble that peppered his skin, she smiled a bit of a half smile, still mesmerized by the man before her. She could tell he had no idea what to do with himself, what to say or feel. She could see that he was letting her be in control for a moment, that it was her turn to make an overture, that it was her decision now, to at least say what she wanted or needed, whether or not he'd give it to her, she wasn't sure. "I saw the x-rays." She whispered.

"I know." He nodded, swallowing hard. It was very difficult for him to concentrate with her so very close to him, and the next words she spoke nearly broke his heart.

"I'm sorry." The word wisped through her lips before she could stop them, and as soon as she said it, she knew that it needed to be said.

"Bones…" He said in a whisper. "No more apologies."

"I have scars too." She whispered. "Metaphorical scars." She said, giving him an unsure look until he nodded his head. He then moved his hands to her arms and wrapped them around him, feeling her warm body against his, her arms clinging around him tightly as she rested her head on his chest, and his face landed in her hair, breathing in her scent.

"I want you to share them with me, Bones. I want you to share everything with me. I love you so much, Temperance. I have waited so damn long to tell you that, and I'm going to tell you that… every chance I get." He whispered. "I need you to tell me what you want."

"I want… you to be warm." She said, softly into his chest.

"I don't understand." He whispered into her hair, as she took a step back and looked down at his feet.

"Shoes first." She whispered, and quickly, his shoes were slipped from his feet, revealing black socks that had obviously been given to him by someone else, simply because he had no clothes of his own. "Come with me." She said, reaching for his hand, she intertwined her fingers with his and tugged him tenderly down the hallway, his eyes falling back on the discarded t-shirt with confusion as she walked down the hallway and stopped at the open linen closet. She pulled two towels from within it without a word, and closed the door, leading him farther down the hallway toward the bathroom.

She stepped past the bathroom door, reaching in, she flipped the switch on and handed him the towels. "I will have dry clothes for you right outside the door." She whispered, keeping her eyes on his. She could see the confusion in his eyes, and simply smiled as she leaned forward and dropped a kiss on his lips. "Warm up." She said, walking past him toward her bedroom.

"Where are you going to be?" He asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, she nodded toward the bedroom and gave him a sweet smile in return.

"I'll be waiting for you." She said, disappearing into the bedroom, she left him standing in the hallway, watching after her.

* * *

When he finished his shower, Booth found a pair of his old sweat pants and a t-shirt sitting on the sink just inside the bathroom. He wondered for a moment if he remembered her walking in, and realized that he must have been enjoying the warmth of the shower a little more intensely than he had realized. When he pulled the t-shirt to unfold it, a pair of striped socks came tumbling from the pile, and he had to let out a laugh, grateful for her memory, grateful for her thoughtfulness.

He stepped out of the bathroom after he dressed, walking slowly down the hallway toward the room that used to be his bedroom, he paused outside of it. For a moment he forgot that he didn't have to sneak, and his quiet footsteps made no sound. He turned the corner slowly, his eyes falling on the form that lay across the mattress, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, Temperance had tried to stay awake as she waited, but the prospect of sleep seemed to be far more powerful than her ability to keep from drifting off.

He approached the bed warily, the anxiety in his chest proving to make his stomach churn, and his heart beat faster as finally he was able to watch her sleep without fear of discovery. He sat on the edge of the bed, feeling it sink beneath his weight, it did nothing to the sleeping woman beside him. She lay on her side, facing his direction, her body curled slightly. Her hair was held back in a messy ponytail, and her hand lay delicately beneath her cheek as she slept soundly. She looked so peaceful, so sweet, so beautiful, that he didn't want to make the slightest movement, he didn't want to disturb her.

He slowly reached out his hand, his fingertips lightly touching her fair skin as he smoothed a stray hair behind her ear. She shifted a little in her sleep, and he couldn't resist those lips for a second longer, as he leaned down and pressed his to them. He watched a slight smile on her lips, and he lifted his legs onto the bed to lie beside her, facing her, venturing a little further, he kissed her again. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." She whispered back as she reached out and gripped his t-shirt with her hands, she pulled herself into his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her securely. "Shouldn't we talk about this?" She whispered sleepily.

"We can talk tomorrow, Bones. There will be plenty of time for talking tomorrow." He whispered. "I just want to hold you now."

"Just promise me you'll be here when I wake up."

"I promise that I will be here when you wake up." He said, dropping a kiss on her hair, he felt her curl into his body as much as possible, as she gave in to sleep, and him, finally, and completely.

* * *

**Don't leave us hanging here... comment, comment, comment! :)**


	38. I Need You Now

_**Update 38- I Need You Now**_

She was breathing slowly, so slowly, so regulated and tenderly against her pillow. She had been curled against him until just nearly an hour before, but had shifted in her sleep as the sun sprinkled in through the curtains, her face the perfect picture of serenity. He couldn't help but watch her sleep, his fingers just itching to lift to her face, to fan that stray hair that had crossed her cheek haphazardly in her sleep. She let out just a tiny groan just then, her lips pursing and her brow furrowing instantly as she appeared to be waking, but her facial expression did not convey one of serenity, instead it was wrought with anxiety. His own brow furrowed as he watched her struggle with waking, as if her mind didn't want it to happen, almost as if she were willing herself to remain sleeping, for fear of the world outside. It was then that he took action, moving his hand to touch her face, the moment it caressed the tender flesh of her cheek, the wrinkles on her forehead disappeared, and the frown on her lips was replaced with one of contentment.

"I thought you were a dream." She whispered tenderly, her eyes remaining closed.

"I was." He whispered, leaning toward her, he dropped the softest kiss on her lips. "But now I'm not." He said as he rested his forehead against hers and waited patiently for her eyes to open.

"Will you be gone when I open my eyes?"

"I am not leaving until you tell me to." Her eyes opened suddenly, and he could see that they were already beginning to tear up. Her love and fears were all jumbled and mixed, glittering at him through her crystal blue eyes.

"Please don't leave." Her voice came out small and frightened, more so than she had expected or wanted.

"Do you want to talk?" He whispered, his brown eyes sincere and concerned, she watched them remain strong and steady on hers.

"Why did you come to her window?" She asked, her voice slightly stronger as she jumped right into the conversation.

"Toni's window?"

"Yes."

"Because I was afraid. I was outside for a long time before I even went to the window."

"You knew that she would accept you."

"Yes."

"You were upset because I didn't come with Harding to pick you up."

"Not upset, a little disappointed. I hadn't seen you since I told you that I was being released." He whispered. "I thought that you didn't want to see me. You never told me if you were upset, angry… if you didn't want me to get out… I didn't know what was going on in that beautiful mind of yours. I knew that you needed time."

"Yes."

"Do you still need time?"

"I need to get used to this." She whispered. "My… dream world and reality have kind of collided, and it is all just a little bit surreal for me. I feel like I'm dreaming now."

"What do you think would help convince you that I'm really here?"

"I don't know." She whispered. "Maybe we could start by not whispering anymore?" She asked, a soft, throaty chuckle deep in her throat made its way to the surface, and she watched his eyes light up and a smile brighten his face as he too let out a slight laugh at her request. "It feels like we're trying to keep a secret."

"No more secrets, Bones." He said, his voice was louder, clearer, and filled with so much emotion, that she couldn't help but reach her arm out and wrap it around his shoulder, pulling him into a tight hug.

"You should have never have been in prison." She said into his shoulder. "You should have never have been put in there, and all I could think when you told me that you were leaving, was that I wouldn't know where to find you… I wouldn't be able to keep you safe. I couldn't keep you safe from them, Booth. I failed you." She exclaimed into his shoulder, tears springing to her eyes as she began to cry. "I failed you."

"Bones. You didn't fail me." He said, holding her securely in his arms, he couldn't say anything more, as she poured her heart out to him.

"I was your partner. I told you that I love you, that I wanted to be there for you, and I walked away from you! I was supposed to be with you… and I walked away!" She sobbed.

"It's okay, Bones… it's all over now." He whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "It's all over now, and I'm here with you."

"Is it all over?" She said, pulling from his embrace. "Is it all over or is it all beginning?" She said, rolling away from him, she sat up and walked around the bed. "Is it all over, or is it all beginning?" She said again. "I mean… you don't have anywhere to live… you don't have a job, or… or… or anything. We're not partners, we're not lovers… what are we?" She exclaimed as she started to pace. Booth sat up on the bed and watched her pace back and forth frantically. "And where do you fit in with Antonia? What do I tell her? She won't understand… How do I tell her that Parker is her brother? I mean… it has always been just her and I, Booth. Just me and her…"

"And Deuce." He said, raising his eyebrows, she stopped pacing and turned sharply toward him.

"There is no more Deuce." She replied, her voice was sharp and final.

"No more Deuce." He shook his head. "But there was, Bones. Antonia will be fine."

"What about me? Will I be fine? Where does this leave me, Booth? What do I do? I am at the mercy of whatever you decide. This is your apartment! I have all of your things still here… and I… do I move in with my father? Do I get him another apartment? What do I do, Booth? I just don't even know where to start…" She paced back and forth, and she hadn't even noticed that he had stood up and moved behind her, and when she turned again, she was staring directly into his t-shirt clad chest. She stopped, her hands were up at her mouth, as she chewed her fingernail as she paced, and for a moment, she didn't say anything, or even move, her eyes simply remained on his chest. She reached her hands out and rested them on his chest, closing her eyes, she let her forehead rest upon his sternum, her hands sliding around his waist. She turned her head and pressed her ear to his chest, feeling his strong arms wrap around her, his hand moving to her head as he pressed his lips to her hair.

"One day at a time, Bones… we're going to take this all one day at a time." He whispered. They stood that way for several moments, holding one another close as he kissed her head again and again, he felt her hands move down to the hem of his shirt, sliding up under the fabric, she rested her hands on his back, her thumbs kneading over his skin tenderly. He could feel his body instantly reacting to her touch, and he knew that she could feel it too.

"It has been such a long time." She said softly, her thumbs rolling circles in his skin, she felt him pull her even closer.

"A very long time." He whispered, rubbing his hands over her back above the t-shirt she was wearing. "That feels very good."

"Mmm…" She said, tipping her head up, she smiled. "I can hear your heart rate increasing."

"That's all you, Bones." He whispered with a sideways smile that made her blush. "I love you… and I missed you."

"I love you." She said, leaning up to brush her lips across his, she kept her eyes closed for a moment, tasting the saltiness of his skin as she found her eyes opening, only to see that his eyes were open and watching her intensely. She felt her body tremble at the intensity, and her fingernails raked against his skin, eliciting a long, satisfying groan as she deepened the kiss. "Such a long time." She whispered against his mouth, she flattened her hands on his back and then raked her nails down as she pushed her hips into him.

"We need to slow down." He whispered in her ear.

"Such a long time." She whimpered into his, she scratched his back again, and this time, he pushed his hips into her slowly, methodically. They were soft, tender, slow-motion movements, but they shook her entire resolve. "Please?"

"Bones, don't…" He whispered.

"We need to slow down?" She panted, pulling at his shirt, it was over his head and on the floor before he had a moment to steady himself, and she pushed them both backwards onto the bed, landing atop him, she noticed a cringe, but it instantly changed to passion as he peppered her skin with light kisses, their breathing both erratic as she pulled at her own shirt.

"That's not slowing down." He said with a light chuckle between kisses, helping to pull her shirt, he could feel the passion mounting quicker than they could catch it. "Bones, we need…"

And she looked up. "Angela." She whispered, glancing to the clock.

"Angela? We don't need Angela…" He said, very confused all of a sudden.

"No… no, Angela… she's going to be here any minute." She whispered, scrambling off him as she landed on the other side of him on the bed, just as there was a knock on the door. "She said she was going to check on me."

"Well… tell her you're fine, and to go to work." He said, rolling onto his side and pulling her to him for one more kiss, which led to a series of kisses on her nose, cheek, temple and lips.

"We have to talk before we do this." She whispered, accepting his attentive kisses.

"We're already doing this."

"What? What are we doing?" She whispered, hearing the insistent knock at the door again, he kissed her neck and she let out a moan that made his toes curl. "She's not going to go away, she has a key."

"Then go." He said, kissing her lips, he swiped her teeth with his tongue, and she whimpered.

"Booth…"

"Go." He said, lifting his hands up innocently. "Go on… get rid of her… so we can talk." He said, winking at her as she glared at him.

"Talk… We're going to talk." She said, rolling to the edge of the bed, she adjusted her shirt and smoothed down her hair, though her face was still incredibly flushed.

"Right." He nodded. "Talk."

"Okay…" She said, hearing a third knock, and this time Angela's voice. "Stay here."

"I'm not moving." He replied, as she nodded, and practically ran from the room.

Temperance moved to the front door quickly, looking out the peek hole, she saw Angela standing in the hallway waiting very impatiently for her friend to open the door. She paused as she tried to think of what to say to her. "Sweetie, I know you're in there, I can see your shadow under the door."

So without another moment passing, Temperance opened the door slowly, peeking out at her friend. "I'm fine, Ange."

"Just let me in…" She rolled her eyes and pushed the door, allowing herself to step inside the apartment, she turned around as Temperance closed the door, and faced her friend head on. She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "You were crying again."

Temperance rubbed her eyes at the accusation, trying to rub the redness from her skin, she shook her head. "I'm not crying now."

"No, not now… but you were. You have to stop this, Bren." She said, turning away from her she shook her head. "You have to stop avoiding all of your problems… you can't just send Ant away every time you have a mental lapse, and you can't avoid what's going on in your life just because you're too afraid to deal with it."

"Ange." She said softly.

"No, you're going to listen to me, and you're going to listen to me good. You're going to get the best friend speech whether or not you like it." She said, shaking her head. "There is a man out there who just got out of prison, a place where he shouldn't have been put into in the first place… who has been following you around for almost four years now, Bren. He almost died, and he still risked his life to save you, to save your daughter… come on, Bren… you had his child! I know you love him! Why are you avoiding him? Why are you doing this to yourself?" She asked, watching Temperance stare at her, almost blankly. "What is wrong with you that you can't just love him? Why can't you just love him, and tell him that you want to be there for him, and be with him? Just… he's staying with Harding, right?"

"Harding picked him up yesterday, yes." Temperance nodded.

"Good… here…" She said, searching through her phone history, she found Harding's phone number.

"Ange… I don't need to…"

"No, you're going to do this…" Angela said as she handed Temperance the phone. "Just press send, or I will." Temperance took the phone reluctantly and spied Booth's discarded t-shirt out of the corner of her eye. "Brennan, stop stalling! Call him, now!"

"You want me to call him…?" She asked softly, watching her friend glare at her.

"I'm serious, Bren." She said, reaching for the phone.

"Fine! Fine!" She exclaimed, pulling the phone from Angela. "I'll call him." She said. She then walked toward the discarded shirt and leaned down to pick it up. "Booth?" She called down the hallway, she refused to glance back at her friend as she stood up straight. Booth poked his head around the corner and grinned. "Angela wants to see you." She said, and she watched as he walked out of the bedroom and down the hallway, she reached for his hand as he made his way toward her, swinging his shirt around in his hand. He pulled the shirt over his head as he reached Temperance, grabbing her outstretched hand, he tugged lightly and whirled her around into his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder as the two of them faced Angela's shocked expression.

"You were looking for me?" He asked with a cocky grin and a slight head tilt as he gave a loving squeeze to the woman in his arms.


	39. Such A Temptation

_**Update 39- Such A Temptation**_

Angela's eyes remained wide and her jaw not exactly slacked, but slightly agape as she tried to work around the thoughts that were shooting through her mind as she watched the two of them stand together, his arms wrapped securely around her waist as he gave her that cocky grin. When she was finally able to speak, however, it was not with unbridled excitement, but with a sense of complete and utter concern.

"No." Angela shook her head. "No, no… no." She said, reaching forward, she grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her from Booth's embrace.

"Angela?" Temperance said, her brow furrowed as she allowed her friend to pull her forward, she turned as both women faced the man across from them. "What's wrong?"

"No… I'm saying no." She said, stepping forward, she rested her hand on Booth's chest. "Go into the other room."

"What?" He asked, watching the scowl rise on her face, he was extremely confused.

"Just go into the other room, let me talk to Bren, please."

"Angela, anything you can say to me, you can say in front of Booth. Why are you acting so oddly?" Temperance said as Angela suddenly grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward her bedroom.

"Stay right there." Angela said to Booth, who followed the two women with his eyes as they disappeared down the hallway and he watched Angela pull Temperance into her bedroom. Once in the bedroom, Angela closed the door behind them and crossed her arms over her chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked, shaking her head at her friend.

"What?" Temperance asked, obviously confused by her friend's sudden turn on Booth.

"What are you doing, Bren? What are you thinking?" Angela asked.

"I really have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Ange." Temperance asked, fairly sure that her friend would have been happy to see that she and Booth were together and talking, that she wasn't avoiding him like she had originally thought. "You wanted me to call him… he's here, and now you're pulling me away from him. I am very, very confused."

"You weren't supposed to just jump right into bed with him the moment he walked through your door, Brennan! You have a child to think about! You have your life to think about! You can't just have your daughter walk in on you in bed with him!"

"Angela, Antonia isn't even here… and I didn't just jump into bed with him."

"Then why did he just walk out of your room pulling his shirt on?"

"Because we just woke up, and he didn't want you to be uncomfortable with him walking around with his shirt off." She said in a tone that sounded more questioning than a statement. "Angela, I am really very confused. You are making absolutely no sense." She said, hearing a knock on the bedroom door, Angela let out a frustrated growl.

"Go away, Booth! We're talking." Angela exclaimed.

"Bones, are you alright?" He asked softly through the door, knowing full well what they were talking about, and that Angela was not happy with what she had perceived as happening between them.

"It's fine, Booth." Temperance said as she felt tempted to open the door and let him inside, Angela sensed it and moved toward the door. "You can let him in, Angela. This is about him too." She said, moving toward the door, her friend seemed unmovable for a moment until she saw the look in Temperance's eyes. "Angela, I can handle this."

Her friend's eyes softened as she watched the sincerity in Temperance's eyes. She knew that she loved the man, but she was hoping she'd get a couple of moments alone with her before the big meeting, and she could see that she was too late. For the past four years, Angela had been the 'go to' friend for Temperance, and already she felt like she was being replaced by Booth once again, and he hadn't even been out for twenty four hours.

"Bones, it's okay." Booth said through the door. "Please, listen to what Angela has to say." He said, waiting for a moment before turning around and heading back toward the kitchen, he felt peaceful in his decision, and waited to hear something retorted back to him, but was happy to hear no reply from within the room.

Angela eyed her friend carefully, the words from the other side of the door calming her jealousy for a few moments as she watched Brennan seemingly fret over his departure. "I don't understand why you think it is appropriate for you to interrupt our day like this." Temperance said in a low voice. "You came here with the intention of getting me to talk to him, and now you won't even let me be in the same room as him."

"Talk, Bren! Talk… I came here to get you to talk to him."

"And we were talking. Right before you got here, we were talking."

"Really? You were talking? Because by the tangle of the sheets and that sex hair… it appears to me that you two were doing more than just talking."

"I don't have to answer to you, Angela!" Temperance exclaimed, her face red with embarrassment and frustration as she ran her hand over her hair.

"Yes you do." Angela replied as she pointed toward her friend. "I have spent the past four years trying to help you get over his death. I have been there for you through the funeral, the birth of your daughter, her birthdays, colds, your depression, sadness, the nightmares, sleepless nights. Four years, Bren… four years, I've been here for you… you should at least take my advice seriously. I love you, and I know he's what is best for you… don't think I'm trying to push you away from him."

"That's how it feels." She admitted.

"I'm sorry." Angela said, taking a step back. "I just… I'm concerned."

"I am too." She nodded, stepping toward the bed, she sat down on the edge of it and rested her head in her hand for a moment. "He came here last night." She said, looking up at her friend, who was walking toward her, she sat on the edge of the bed beside her and slowly ran her hand over her friend's back, noting the conflict in her mannerisms, in her voice and the way she was holding herself. "He came here, and wanted to talk." She whispered.

"Did you talk?" Angela asked, noticing the faraway look in Temperance's eyes.

"We talked, a little… he took a shower, and I fell asleep… but that's all. We just woke up a little while ago. I don't know… what to say to him, but when we tried to talk this morning, things just started to click into place." She sighed. She looked to Angela, who was watching her, not judging. "Once we connected, it was like… I… it was like…"

"Like your body and mind both wanted to make up for lost time?" Angela asked suggestively, watching her friend blush as she nodded, refusing to make eye contact. "I understand." She said as she tilted her head, trying to look into her friend's eyes.

"I love him, Angela." Temperance whispered, looking up at her as Angela simply smiled.

"Of course you do, Sweetie." Angela paused. "I love him too… and as much as I know that you want to be with him… there are a lot of other things that you two need to discuss before that happens."

"I don't understand why. Those items will still be up for discussion after we have sex, and there are no decisions that will need to be made that would keep us from displaying our sexual desire for one another."

"Sweetie, you know as well as I do… that sex complicates things."

"It can't complicate this, Angela." She shook her head. "Nothing could complicate this."

"Then it delays things." Angela whispered.

"So you're not upset that Booth and I are… together?"

"No." She smiled, rubbing her friend's back tenderly. "He belongs with you, sweetie."

"You were upset because you thought that we had ignored the issues surrounding our relationship, and incorrectly perceived that we just jumped into a sexual relationship without regard to the emotional issues that encircle our relationship?"

Angela nodded and let out a laugh. "Yeah, sweetie…"

"Well… what do you suggest that we do, to avoid falling into this trap once again? He is quite irresistible." She said, raising her eyebrows with a sly smirk that made Angela laugh. It had been quite a long time since she had seen her best friend act this way about a man, and Booth was the only man who could make her eyes sparkle that way.

"I suggest that you both take a shower… separately, get dressed… leave the apartment so that the temptation isn't there… maybe do a little shopping, or walking… something to burn off some of that excess steam… and talk, really talk."

"Okay." She nodded.

"Then… at lunch time, meet me and Hodgins at the diner, and I'll have your dad bring Ant." Angela said, noting the excitement return to her friend's eyes at the mention of her daughter. "She's going to have so much to say about this, Bren. You know that she will." She smiled. "That's all she talked about yesterday was how she was going to see her daddy soon. I don't know how he did it, but that little girl loves him so very much."

"He loves her very much as well." Temperance replied. Angela smiled at her friend and offered a hug, of which Temperance took advantage of, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Do you think that talking will make things easier?" She whispered into her friend's shoulder.

"It will make things easier, and better." Angela said, pulling from the hug. "Trust me, Sweetie."

"I do trust you." She said sincerely, as she stood up with Angela and walked toward the door. "We'll meet you at the diner at twelve thirty."

"Right." She said, walking with Temperance out of the bedroom, they walked down the hallway together, passing Booth without a word, their eyes just on one another's as they spoke, purposefully not including him in the conversation. "And make sure that you talk, sweetie." Angela said, glancing to Booth, he nodded softly. "And don't think of trying any of that charm smile, cocky attitude stuff to get her to give in to your testosterone driven shrine of a body, alright? You're going to talk… and if you two have sex?" She said, pointing between the two of them. "I'm going to know about it, so you two better both have that 'monster hasn't been fed in years' looks in your eyes when I see you later, got it?"

"I don't know what that means." Temperance said, feeling Booth's arms around her waist as Angela shook her head.

"I'll explain it later." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath sending shivers up her spine as Angela gave her a warning glare.

"I'm serious, Brennan." Angela said as she walked toward the door.

"Shower, shop, and talk… lunch at twelve thirty." Temperance repeated the conversation in a quick, concise manner, she reluctantly stepped from Booth's arms and opened the door for her friend and smiled.

"Shower alone." She said, pointing to Temperance, who felt her cheeks burn red as Booth let out a chuckle. "Don't laugh at me, unless you really want to be a dead man." She said, watching his smile disappear. "I'll see you later, Sweetie." Angela said, giving her friend a hug, she glared playfully over her shoulder at Booth as he simply shook his head and smiled.

"Bye, Ange." Temperance said, hugging back. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." She said, giving Booth a wave, she disappeared out of the door as it closed behind her.

Temperance stared at the door for a moment before turning around, leaning against it, she faced Booth with an almost shy expression, she watched him take a step forward. "Are you okay?" He whispered, watching her nod, he took another step closer to her, until he stood right in front of her, nearly towering over her, his body just barely touching hers as she tilted her head questioningly. "What now?" He whispered, brushing a tender kiss across her lips, she heard the gentle whimper escape her lips before she could catch it.

He looked into her eyes and she tilted her head just slightly as she watched those brown eyes admiring her every movement. "Shower… shop… and talk." She whispered, pressing a solid kiss on his lips with her hands on his face, before breaking from it almost unwillingly, and holding her breath as she walked around him, and directly toward the bathroom to take a shower, being sure to turn and lock the door behind her, to aid in the resistance to temptation.


	40. Breaking Down The Barriers

_**Update 40- Breaking Down The Barriers**_

The water in the shower was hot and refreshing, rolling over her skin, she closed her eyes against the spray, the hot sprinkles of water running over her skin as she rubbed her face with her hands. She tried her best not to think of what the day would hold, and tried so hard to keep the warmth of desire filling her at bay. She thought of his touch just from that morning, the way his eyes followed her every movement, the way his arms fit so very perfectly around her. As if her thoughts had come alive, she could practically feel his hands tangled in her hair, his breath at her neck and the warmth of his naked body pushing her back into him.

"I love you." His voice skated across the skin of her neck, and she was almost surprised that her dream was no longer a dream, but instead found another one of her dreams turned to reality as he wrapped his arms around her and shared the spray from the shower silently.

"I locked the door." She whispered, turning in his embrace, she buried her head in his chest, his skin damp from the spray of the shower, her hands moved to his shoulders as she pulled her arms behind his neck and clasped them together, resting her forehead on his.

"I kicked it in." He whispered.

"I didn't hear you kick it in." She whispered, groaning against his touch, his hands moved slowly over her body, memorizing each and every curve.

"Well… first I unlocked it… then I tapped it with my foot… I didn't want to scare you." He whispered, their eyes locked as their bodies moved against one another's in a sensual rhythm with the water pouring down around them. "You are beautiful."

She wanted to respond with words, but found that her voice was stuck in her throat, and immediately her eyes began to water with broken hearted tears. "Oh, Bones… please." He whispered, his voice cracking as he felt the tears threatening in his own eyes. "Please don't cry." He said, lifting his hands to her head, he tenderly placed his palms at the base of her jaw line, and allowed his thumbs to run slowly across her temples. He lifted her forehead and looked into her eyes with a bit more light, and that was all it took before his lips descended upon hers.

It was sweet and soft at first, as it turned into one that was more exploring and permissive. Her hands unclasping and moving to his face, she held him as if she were ensuring that he was real, her fingertips dancing over his features as they finally rested on his chest, pushing him away just slightly, his hands moved to her waist, and he held their naked bodies together as they broke off the kiss. Her eyes were focused on her hands, resting on his chest. "We are supposed to talk." She whispered.

"Why?" He asked, his voice tender and questioning. "Because Angela said we should?" He asked, watching her nod her head, her eyes still completely focused on his chest, her fingers moving over his skin, her eyes watching the droplets of water rolling playfully in tiny rivulets down their bodies.

He pulled her into him hard, so that she could feel the desire that had been building. She gasped and her eyes met his. "What did I tell you last night, Temperance?" He asked, his eyes sincere, his face completely serious. "What did I tell you?"

"I…" She whispered.

"Nobody is going to tell me what I can, or cannot do. I have taken over my own destiny… I am in charge… and if I want to make love to the most beautiful woman in the world before talking to her about all of the painful crap we've been put through in the past ten years… then I will… I will make love to her for as long as she wants me to...in as many ways possible… until she is satisfied and exhausted." He said, tipping his head to leave a passionate kiss on her surprised expression, he was instantly rewarded for his 'take charge' attitude when her arms wrapped behind his neck and she pulled herself into him once again, taking the kiss from permissive to demanding in a fraction of a second.

He turned her and lifted his foot, turning the hot water above them off as he continued the kiss, his hands flailing for just a moment as he pushed aside the shower curtain and stepped backwards from the tub, pulling her wet body with him, she stepped from the tub onto the bathroom rug and moved swiftly backwards with him as he led her, down the hallway backwards. The water dripped from their shower soaked bodies, yet there wasn't one single iota of care for the state of the floors as he wrapped his arm around her as he gently laid her naked, wet body on the dry, warm linens of the bed.

She did not protest for a single moment as he hovered above her, their kiss breaking off as she pushed her hips up at him desperately, her fingernails raking against his skin as he moved his lips to her neck. He could feel her body moving beneath his, pushing herself up to him again and again, the water soaking the sheets, their moans and whimpers filling the air as he kissed as much of her revealed flesh as he possibly could, driving her into a wild frenzy of begging whimpers.

"Please?" She exclaimed, her arms wrapping around him as he watched her head lean back as she leveraged against him to finish what he started. "Please, please?" She exclaimed, her voice a strangled sob as he just continued to kiss her.

"I am in control." He whispered against her neck. "We're doing this my way now."

"No." She whimpered. "No, please… please don't make me beg." She whimpered. "I dream of you every night… every night I dream such horrible things and all I want is to be happy. All I have ever wanted was to be happy! To be happy with…" That moment was the moment that very well may have ended all of the pain she had ever felt, because that moment was when their bodies met in a sense of cosmic fireworks that would be matched by no other.

Her scream was guttural and free, the release was almost immediate as her body arched against his as he too exclaimed the passionate sensations that were ravaging his body and mind as finally they moved together in perfect rhythm. It was as if a storm that rumbled deep in their soul had exploded in thunderous crashes of lightning as they danced a dance with nothing but the music of their want and need for one another.

The passion rolled off their bodies like the sweat and water from the shower they had been in just moments before, and their hearts beat in time, as all of the dreams and wishes for the truth and love of being together were surpassed at an overwhelming pace again and again. They tangled limbs and rolled several times across the mattress, soaking it completely from her hair and body that had once been wet with water, and was now wet with the taste of a thousand kisses as their sweat and heartbeats mixed in a passionate, love filled frenzy.

Each time they were brought to the edge of release, he would slow and kiss her, calming her senses enough to revel in their lovemaking, whispering words of love and encouragement as he'd quicken his pace once again, dropping her at the edge of her need, he would slow again as she begged against his skin. "I love you." He whispered, again and again. "I love you, baby… I love you… I love you and I'm never leaving you… never leaving you, I love you." He whispered.

The longer they moved together, the more passion drained from their lovemaking. The longer they made love, the calmer, and sweeter their touches became, and the frustration and pain that they had been trying to erase had been eliminated. Softly, tenderly, slowly, and methodically, they reached the edge, and just when she thought he'd stop, their eyes met in one moment of complete and total surrender, and it was at that exact moment that they tumbled over the edge together, crashing full tilt into the gentle caresses of oblivion, sated and exhausted, they remained joined as they let out a unison sigh of tenderness and rested within one another until they drifted off.


	41. Baby Steps

_**Update 41- Baby Steps**_

Angela and Hodgins stepped into the diner together and walked toward the table in the back. Angela could see the little girl talking animatedly with her grandfather as she sipped on a cup of chocolate milk, and she slammed the cup down and waved wildly toward Angela. "Big A!" She said happily. Angela scooped the little girl up and deposited her in her lap, sitting across from Max.

"Hey, Max." Hodgins said with a smile as Angela gave him an irritated glare. "They're not here yet?"

"I haven't seen them." He said with a chuckle at Angela's eye roll. "They should have been here about a half hour ago, right?" He asked.

"Yes." Angela sighed.

"Well, I didn't tell… you know who about anything." Max replied, nodding toward the little girl. "I thought we would just let her be surprised."

"You know who, what?" Antonia asked, looking out the window again. "Where is mama? You said Mama was coming, Oompa."

"She'll be here soon, baby…" Max said as she shifted on Angela's lap and moved to Hodgins, she sat with her head tipped back, tickling his beard as he laughed. "Did you see them?"

"Oh, I saw them." Angela nodded, her voice starting off as accusatory as a smile made its way to her lips. "They looked happy."

"I bet." Hodgins said with a smirk that was returned with a glare. He gave her a humored look and shook his head. "What? They haven't been alone in four years… you don't think that they're going to be able to keep their hands off one another, do you?"

"Well, I told Brennan that they needed to talk first." Angela said as the bell rang on the door, and Temperance walked in. The woman was positively glowing with happiness, and you would have to be blind not to notice the happiness in every step she took. Immediately Angela scowled. "Which… obviously she didn't listen to me about." Angela said, straightening up as everyone looked in her direction.

"Mommy!" Antonia squealed loudly, scrambling from Hodgin's grip, she slipped to the floor and ran at her mother as fast as she could. Temperance lifted her into the air and listened to her giggle as she pulled her to her in a mighty hug, full of kisses and squeezes. "I missed you…" She mumbled into her mother's shoulder.

"I missed you, baby." Temperance said, pulling from the hug, their eyes met and Antonia leaned in to kiss her mother's cheek. "Were you good for Big A and Uncle Bugs?" She asked as Antonia nodded her head and glanced to the table as she held her mother as she squeezed her into another hug. "And you were good for Oompa?" She asked.

"She's always good for me." Max said, watching his daughter's smile as she held her daughter in her arms, he could see that she looked genuinely happy for the first time in a very, long time.

"Your smile is pretty, Mama." Ant said, watching her mother's eyebrows go up as she watched Max slide over.

"Thank you, my sweet princess." Temperance said, sitting down, she watched Angela's playful glare as she just smiled.

"Can we go see daddy now?" Antonia asked immediately, watching her mother raise her eyebrows, she just shrugged and settled on her lap. "Mama? Mama, can we go see daddy now?" She asked, and Temperance didn't answer, so the little girl kept jabbering away.

"So where is he?" Hodgins asked, looking out the window, Temperance looked up at them.

"Parking the car… he'll be here in just a…"

"DADDY!" Antonia squealed so loudly that everyone in the diner turned to see the man walking in through the door. "Oh my goodness, Daddy!" Antonia's voice squealed loudly. "Mama, that's Daddy…" She said as she nearly jumped over her mother's shoulder to get to him. "Daddy!" She exclaimed.

Booth walked quickly through the diner, and Temperance turned to let him take the shouting girl before she tumbled to the floor, her arms moved instantly around his neck, and her face buried itself in his skin. Hodgins immediately stood up and held his hand out to the man, and Angela remained sitting, her arms crossed across her chest. If Booth didn't know better, he'd say she was pouting.

"I know you're mad, Angela." Booth said as he reached around and grabbed a chair from the next table over. "But I really don't care." He said, watching the woman's jaw drop as he rubbed his daughter's back and rocked her gently in his arms.

"Feels good to be breathing fresh air again, huh Booth?" Max asked as Booth shook his head and laughed.

"I don't know, Max… Where I was, it wasn't as restrictive as where you were… but it does feel nice to have these arms around me." He said, rocking the little girl, he put his arm around Temperance and pulled her closer, kissing her temple. "It feels good to have my family back." He said sincerely as he settled in his chair and smiled happily. "It feels very good to have them back."

"Speaking… of family." Hodgins said with a smile as he watched Angela nudge her husband and give him a slight glare. "What? They're here… we may as well tell them."

"Tell us what?" Temperance asked, watching between the two of them for a moment as Booth gave her a tender squeeze.

"I thought we were going to wait." Angela whispered.

"We already waited." Hodgins whispered back.

"No, I thought we were going to wait until the…"

"What is it?" Temperance asked, her voice sounding a bit more impatient as she felt Booth kiss her temple again.

"Angela is pregnant." Hodgins said, the excitement in his voice sent it up nearly an octave as Angela beamed across the table.

"Really?" Temperance asked as she nearly leapt from her seat and around Booth's chair to embrace her friend who was nodding happily as she began to cry in Temperance's shoulder. "I am so happy for you guys! So happy!" She said as she leaned back and looked Angela in the eyes. "You have been waiting so long for this!"

"I know!" Angela said excitedly as Hodgins stood up and embraced Temperance in a tight hug, his blue eyes were filled with tears as Booth stood up and shook his hand, his other arm still around Antonia as she turned in his arms and looked to Hodgins.

"Congratulations." He said with a smile as Max stood up and shook Hodgin's hand as well, as they all sat down and started talking excitedly. Temperance walked back to her seat and sat down next to Booth, and watched her daughter for a moment as Booth glanced out of the corner of his eye to her and gave her a smile, his hand instantly in hers while the conversation centered on Angela and her news.

"We didn't want to say anything until Booth's party."

"You're throwing me a party?" Booth let out a laugh and Angela nodded.

"Yes… we are throwing you a party for your return into the living world…" She teased. "And we thought we'd rain on your parade with our own news." She teased.

"This is not rain." Booth replied. "This is most definitely not rain." He smiled. "Did you hear that, Toni? Your Aunt Angela is going to have a baby."

"No she's not." Antonia replied, having listened to the excitement, she had heard enough.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Max asked, his eyes flashing to Temperance and back to the little girl.

"I am the only baby around here." She replied, her voice was certain and serious, and her eyes flashed onto Angela as she watched her give her a sympathetic smile. "I'm the only baby." She mumbled. "Just me."

Booth and Brennan exchanged a glance, and Temperance looked to Angela and gave her an apologetic smile. She seemed a bit concerned, but Angela just flashed a smile to the little girl.

"You don't want a little baby around to play with? You'll practically be cousins. You will get to be the big girl." Angela replied.

"I don't know what that means."

"Well, if I have a baby, I'm going to need the help of a big girl… not a baby…"

"Angela, I don't think that Antonia will be capable of…" Temperance began to protest as Booth gave her hand a gentle squeeze as Antonia watched her friend across the table, and Brennan paused.

"You think I'm a big girl?" She asked Angela incredulously, her dark eyes wide with surprise as she smiled.

"I do…" Angela said, watching Antonia think things through as she watched her. "And I think you would be the best helper ever."

"Mmm…" Antonia said, obvious that she was thinking through what Angela had said. "Maybe." She shrugged, still unsure of this new arrangement. "You can have a baby if I can be a big girl."

"Sounds like a plan." Angela said happily as she watched the little girl eye her mother for a moment.

"Mama, you should have a baby too." Antonia said to her mother, watching Temperance's eyes meet hers as everyone watched her for her reaction.

"Why don't we get some pie?" Booth interrupted, noticing the look of relief that crossed Temperance's face. "First pie… then we'll get into the complicated stuff." He said as he turned the little girl around in his arms and lifted her above his head, she let out a squeal of happiness. "How does that sound, my little princess?" He asked as she kicked her legs in the air as everyone at the table laughed. "How does that sound?"

"Big girl, Daddy! I am a big girl!" She exclaimed with a giggle as he scooped her back onto his lap and grasped Temperance's hand tightly, as they started with pie, with the promise to deal with the complicated stuff later.

**-The end-**

* * *

**Alright readers... I know how traumatic it was to read those two words at the end of this update, but never fear... the story of Booth/Bones/Antonia is not over. Following the Memorial Day weekend holiday, I will begin the third of this series... The title is "Shades of Grace" ... Please stay tuned and comment! I need to know you all are still out there! :)**


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